Gaza pullout opponents trigger bomb alert in Israel


Reuters
 Date: 05-15-05

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Opponents of Israel's planned Gaza pullout triggered bomb alerts at Tel Aviv train stations on Sunday after leaving behind suspicious suitcases that were later found to be packed with stones and protest leaflets.

"The withdrawal will blow up in your face," the leaflets said, according to a police spokeswoman.

Commuters at Tel Aviv's two main train stations were delayed after police bomb squads cordoned off the area and examined the suitcases.

Packages left unattended in public places in Israel usually draw immediate attention in a country rocked by scores of suicide bombings over the past 4-1/2 years of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

"So far no arrests have been made," the spokeswoman said. "It appears the suspicious packages were left by people opposed to the Gaza withdrawal."

Israel plans to evacuate all 21 settlements in Gaza and four in the northern West Bank this August as part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to "disengage" from conflict with the Palestinians.

Jewish settlers and thousands of their supporters have threatened to hold protests across the country ahead of the pullout, the first evacuation of settlements from occupied land that Palestinians want for a state.

Last month, police in Jerusalem arrested two members of an ultranationalist group suspected of planting several fake bombs in the city to protest against the withdrawal.

Source

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


Home