PIJ Suicide Bomber Targets Mall, and "Tahdiya"

By Matthew Levitt

On the evening of Tuesday, July 12, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the main entrance to the Hasharon Mall in Netanya, killing three women and wounding twenty four others. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. The bomber was identified as Ahmed Abu Khalil, an 18-year old member of PIJ and a resident of the West Bank town of Atil, just eight miles east of Netanya.

Shortly before Tuesday�s attack in Netanya, a 36-year old member of Islamic Jihad attempted to drive a car bomb into the Jewish settlement of Shavei Shomron in the West Bank. The bomber was captured after the explosives detonated prematurely, leaving him slightly injured.

In the video filmed before the Netanya suicide attack Atil stated �We reiterate our commitment to the calm, but we have to retaliate for Israeli violations.� Following the attack Islamic Jihad said that the group remained committed to the cease-fire, but reserves the right to retaliate against arrests of PIJ members and other violations of the truce. In fact, the recent string of attempted and successful PIJ attacks appears to be part of a strategic decision to conduct attacks leading up the Israeli disengagement from Gaza to force Israel with withdraw from Gaza under fire and create the illusion that groups like PIJ are responsible for pushing Israeli out of Gaza.

Tuesday�s bombing was the first suicide attack in Israel since the attack targeting a Tel Aviv beachfront nightclub on February 25, 2005, which left five dead. PIJ also claimed responsibility for the February suicide attack.

In the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have arrested dozens of PIJ operatives planning and supporting the group's sudden push to execute attacks despite and "tahdiyam," or period of calm, to which other Palestinian terrorist groups have adhered even as they use the time to regroup and rearm for another day.

Since a cease-fire was declared on February 8, 2005, Israeli security forces have successfully thwarted several attempted attacks perpetrated by Islamic Jihad militants over the past few months. On February 28, 2005 Israeli Security discovered a vehicle parked near Jenin packed with half a ton of explosives. When Shin Bet officials interrogated Islamic Jihad militant Jibril Zubeydi, who was arrested several months earlier, Zubeydi revealed three plots the Islamic Jihad was planning, including the car bomb, a rocket attack on the Israeli town of Afula and a double suicide bombing against a Jerusalem school.

On May 1, 2005 the Israeli army arrested 19-year old PIJ member Mohammad Ganem, who was found with a belt of explosives during an operation near Tulkarm. He had already recorded a farewell video. Towards the end of May five PIJ members were arrested around the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem. These five men were plotting a double suicide bombing near the Ramot neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Two explosive belts were found, to be used in their planned attack targeting a bus, caf� or synagogue.

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