Less than 2 weeks after, Another terror cell waiting to strike from Sinai Peninsula

Less than two weeks since the terror attack on Israel by extreme terrorists originating from the Gaza Strip that took the lives of 8 Israelis, and another in a rocket that was launched two days later, an intelligence tip has alerted that a terror cell by the extreme terror group, Islamic Jihad, has already left the Gaza Strip and is waiting for the chance to strike.

Two weeks ago, another intelligence tip was present. A S.W.A.T team sat in ambush all night. However, when the sun came up, the estimation was that no terrorists would dare cross the border-fence in broad daylight and in front of an Egyptian post. Two weeks ago they were wrong. Fortunately, the team was only regrouping until nightfall and were near by (in the city Eilat), so when first reports of the events arrived, they managed to get to the scene relatively quickly and prevent a greater loss of life (along with the resourcefulness of drivers on Highway 12 – the bus driver who was quit to escape, and private vehicles who saw the events and heard the shots and turned back, warning people to stop on the way).

This time Israel is not taking any chances – it not only alerted the public of the threat, but has closed down Highways 10 and 12 for all travelling. This warning is not new, but uncharacteristically made it public when it was apparent that complete Highways will be shut down and that there is a chance that once again, the loss of life would not be prevented. This is only done in an attempt to deter the terrorists.

Israel’s Home Front Defense Minister, Matan Vilani, has said this morning that: “We know of cell of at least 10 people, seeking to attack from the Sinai Peninsula.” He added that Israel is working in close ties with the Egyptians to foil the attack.

The Egyptian Rage Towards Israel – Violence and Hate

Ever since the walls of fear have been shattered inEgypt, a lot of Egyptians found themselves with the sudden courage and the ability to say and do what once they were not able to. Some of it was directed towards the government, some of it is still directed towards the Military Council that is their regime today and others have finally managed to release their rage towards Israel.

In the months that have pasted since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, more and more Egyptians gather to protest… not against their still deteriorating condition, not against the unemployment, not against the lack of free election on the horizon, not even against the lack of tourism since the revolution. No, they are directed rage filled with enormous amounts of hate towards Israel. As all hate goes, this too is irrational. If protestors took pride in the none-violence of the coup, their demonstrations against Israel is the complete opposite. For months now they’ve been burning flags, shouting blasphemous curses, blocking the Israeli Embassy and calling to end the ties with Israel, to Shred the peace treaty and have even gone as far as to threaten the Ambassador (Haim Levanon).Israel’s envoy sent their families home, security has been tightened and there were periods of time where they were not able to leave their homes and go to the Embassy. This, with the added constant threats to the lives and welfare of the delegation, is by definition pure violence and terror.

This has of course escalated over the past week. Ever since the terror attack that originated in Egypt, from its’ soil, and managed to come to fruition, in part, because of Egypt’s inability to stop the incredible growth of terror cells in the Sinai Peninsula, the results of casualties on the Egyptian side have been automatically put on Israel. It’s easy. It’s always done. Just last year when a shark attacked a tourist in El Arish, the Egyptian street was quick to blame the Israeli Mossad for that. A rational explanation for this, as usual, could not be found.

Burning of Israeli flag, an almost tradition and hobby in Egypt, last week in front of the Israeli Embassy.
Photograph By: AP News Agency

While completely ignoring huge chunks of the truth, and of other incidents (for example, on Wednesday a rocket fired at Israel landed in the Rafah crossing, on the Egyptian side. It hit close to a house and woman was lightly injured. No one walked out on the streets of Egypt because of that), the Egyptians are letting loose of all their inhibitions, in any way possible.

This week they are calling for a million people demonstration. It’s goal: Not democracy, not peace, not dialogue. It’s hate, violence and incitement. It’s bloodshed. It’s a demand to break a peace treaty for the option of war.

The Gruesome terror attack on Israel Today

Update: Popular Resistance Committee is responsible for this terror attack. Israel claims to have killed some of its’ higher ranks in an air strike near the Phildelphi Route (close to the Gaza-Sinai border). Rockets have being fired towards Israel’s Ashkelon. The Iron Dome defense system has intercepted one of these rockets, headed towards populated civilian areas.

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Photograph by: Eliad Levi

A few short hours ago, the biggest terror attack Israel has seen in Years took place. At this time, not much is known about this attack near the Israel-Egypt border, but some things are more than certain. At I am writing this, Israeli media is reporting 7 Israelis dead, almost 30 wounded and hopefully all terrorists killed in gunfire battles with Israel’s military and police.

The Sinai Peninsula after the fall of Hosni Mubarak

Earlier this week, Egypt moved military forces into the Sinai Peninsula (which borders both Israel and the Gaza Strip) in an operation called “The Eagle”. Its’ objective was to capture and dismantle terror cells. This was probably motivated by the fifth time the gas line between Egypt and Israel (carrying gas to both Israel and Jordan) has been blown up. Whether or not there was real intelligence to this specific attack, I cannot tell, but the fact is that ever since the uprising against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the Sinai Peninsula has become a point of instability. During the uprising, Mubarak has enabled a prison break that allowed, among the many Egyptian criminals, terrorists sitting in Egyptian prisons to break out. Some of them have made it to the Gaza Strip, others have remained in the Peninsula.

map of the Israeli-Egypt border near the Sinai Peninsula from Google Maps

Every few months Israel is issuing a travel warning to Israelis regarding the Peninsula. The instability is not new. However, since the fall of the Hosni Mubarak and the movement of police forces from the peninsula towards more populated areas inside Egypt in an attempt to enforce some sort of public order, along with the prison breakout, has left Sinai an ideal location for terror groupings.