Eilat Hears 2 Grad Missiles

2 Grad missiles were heard to drop near Eilat.  They have just had the all clear signal.  It seemed to come from Egypt.

Resource:  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4401115,00.html

Eilat Pelted by Two Grad Rockets

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                   

Eilat was hit by 2 grad rockets this morning by a Salafi Muslim jihadist group with probable ties to al-Qaeda, "The lions of the Mujahedeen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem."  .   One landed in an open area while the other exploded in a back yard.    This is a resort town on the Red Sea that vacationing Scandinavians love.  In the past rockets are usually from the Sinai Peninsula.  This area has become a center for terrorists since Mubarak took over in the fall of 2011.

People suffered shock and anxiety but no one was injured.  The airport was closed as a precaution.  Schools remained open.

Aqaba, Jordan is across the bay from Eilat. could have also been hit but information isn't forthcoming to Israel.  Last year Eilat was hit several time by the group, Ansar Jerusalem.

The Red Sea forms Israel's southern outlet to the Indian Ocean by way of Eilat.  The sea itself is a branch of the Indian Ocean that goes from the Strait of Aden to Suez and Eilat.  It had been thought of as the "Reed Sea" that the Israelites crossed during the Exodus from Egypt.  It's long and narrow, giving one a sandy beach with protected water that's warm and lovely to visit in the middle of winter.  It has a coral reef and night life, making it very attractive with a dry desert climate as it's on the southern Negev desert.  46,600 people live here.

Yesterday a terrorist or more likely terrorists set off 2 bombs in the Boston Marathon which killed 3 and injured close to 150 people, some extremely serious with lost limbs.  This has set off a series of threats of all kinds all over the USA, and here in Israel, a grad rocket attack.  Since Hamas terrorists in Gaza are the ruling political party, they are responsible for this attack. The Salafi party in Egypt is even more unreasonable that the Muslim Brotherhood, so must be out to show their strength.

Resource:  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167221#.UW7FUaKOTqE
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6ec7a72-a731-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2QjoNPEyl (cookies here)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Rockets-slam-into-Eilat-following-Code-Red-siren-310043

Counterterrorism in Gaza: AQAP Saudi Cell Caught With Poison Chemicals

Nadene Goldfoot
Last Sunday, August 26, 3 rockets hit Sderot, Israel which lies just a few miles from the Gaza Strip border.  This time 2 workmen were injured.  On the very same day, 2 terrorist cells were captured in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  Both were created by Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula  This group, AQAP, has ordered its Sinai cells and the Egyptian and Palestinian branches to step up their attacks from Sinai and the Gaza Strip.  AQAP is an al--Qaeda group who revere Osama bin Laden of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.  The Saudi government evidently chased them into Yemen, whose government is also against them.

The AQAP have been found with not only weapons and explosives, but chemical substances for loading into explosive charges.  This type of evidence was found in 2002 when a bomb was found packed with poison chemicals and was detonated by a Palestinian suicide killer in Jerusalem.  It is feared that those weapons may also now be in the Sinai.

The result was 3 Qassam missiles fired into the industrial zone of Sderot-Shear Hanegev.   This started an even stronger anti-Israel offensive from Gaza.  The group in Gaza shooting is the Shura Council that is actually from the East Jerusalem area who are a 6,000 force of well-armed terrorists commanded by an Egyptian, Hisham Saydani.  Al Qaeda calls him Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi.  His lieutenants and he serve as liaisons between the Sinai cells and the AQAP in Yemen.

Hamas terrorists who rule Gaza were holding Saydani in a special security prison cell until 2 weeks ago when they let him go.  He set up the Shura Council's attack near Rafah.  They killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and rammed the Kerem Shalom crossing barrier into Israel.    Egypt demanded that Hamas find and arrest them. The 3 missile strike on Sderot was warning Hamas to stay away from Saydani and his new group or they'd keep striking Sderot until the IDF would attack Hamas's areas.

Hitting Eilat, Israel on August 17 was also a warning to Cairo to stop looking for the Salafi terrorists in Sinai or else southern Israel would continue to be hit, bringing out the IDF strikes.

Resource:  Debka@thejmg.com  Al Qaeda targets Saudi Arabia, Israel, Saudi cell found with chemicals, special report
http://atlanticsentinel.com/2012/08/saudis-arrest-al-qaeda-cells-with-links-to-gaza-sinai/  very thorough
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda_in_the_Arabian_Peninsula

Civilian Worker Killed by Terrorists Along Security Fence

Nadene Goldfoot
1500 Israeli workers are employed in adding on more fencing along the Egyptian-Israel Security Fence. It's going to run for 165 miles  from Eilat to the Gaza Strip and is planned to be finished by the end of the year.

 On Monday, 3 terrorists from the Sinai area crossed the border and stalked 2 vehicles used by defense contractors building the new border fence.  The terrorists used PRG rockets, explosives and artillery fire in the dune sector around Nahal Lavan and killed Said Phashpashe (Sa'ed Fachachte), 36 years old Arab Israeli who was one of the men in one of the vehicles.

IDF Golani soldiers, minutes away,  killed two of the terrorists.  One had an explosive device like some sort of bomb strapped on his body and it had exploded when shot.  The soldiers found AK -47 rifles, grenades, uniforms and munitions on the ground.

The surrounding area went on high alert which was not lifted till noontime.  The fear was that terrorists had infiltrated through the fencing.

The terrorist attack came about as soon as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt claimed victory in their "elections."  Since 2011 when Mubarak lost power and control, Israel has been alarmed by the violations happening along the border and fear a lawlessness happening.

The need for the fence is now twofold: to keep out terrorists who are bent on killing and the influx of African migrants who have descended illegally in large numbers on Israel through Egypt's border.

Resource: http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-4243734,00.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/18/us-israel-egypt-violence-idUSBRE85H0KT20120618

Grad Rocket Hits Southern Israel on Shabbat

Nadene Goldfoot
A 122 mm Grad rocket fell into an open desert of the Arava region in southern Israel on this Shabbat from terrorists who were most likely close to the Egyptian border around Sinai which Egypt has not been guarding as well as in the Mubarak period.  Of course Egypt denies it came from the Egyptian area.  It could have even come from Jordan, which Haaretz suggests, or even that Hamas terrorists managed to get very close to the Sinai area.

 50 rockets of this type made in China were found to be long distance and hit Israel on Decmeber 31, 2008, wounding 5 people. Russia also makes this type of Grad rocket as well as other countries.  The distance it can travel is at least 22 to 25  miles.  Update on 17th  is that the distance can be 50 km or 31.07 miles.   April of this year saw  3 Grads that were fired at Eilat from the same area.  For Oregonians, this is like a Grad rocket shot from Hillsboro and hitting Portland.

2001 saw rockets being shot into southern Israel from Gaza's Hamas terrorists.  Sderot, the closest city to Gaza is only 1.864 miles or 3 km away and was hit constantly.  More than 8,600 rockets have been shot into Israel from Gaza since then causing 28 deaths and several hundred wounded, not to mention the PTSD caused by the population.  By 2006 long range rockets such as this grad was reaching Ashkelon.

So far, this year of 2012 has seen 224 rockets and 28 mortars hit southern Israel from Gaza with the worst month being in March.

Resource:  http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-fired-southern-israel-nobody-hurt-army-103106310.html
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=274039
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/16/us-israel-rocket-idUSBRE85F0G220120616
http://defense-update.com/newscast/1208/analysis/311208_palestinians_use_chineese_ws2e_extendedrange_rockets.html
http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Ammunition-Handbook/122-mm-BM-21-Grad-series-rockets-Russian-Federation.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/grad-rocket-lands-in-southern-israel-source-unknown-1.436740
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
update: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?ID=274126&R=R1

Eilat Area Receives Multiple Attacks Thursday

Nadene Goldfoot

6 / now 7 now 8 Israelis were killed and 25/updated to 33 injured around 20 kilometers north of Eilat around noon on Thursday.  The area was hit in three different incidences. Eilat is Israel's southernmost  city of 46,600 people.  It's a popular resort for international tourism being it's on the northern tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Eilat.  It sportss lovely beaches, great nightlife and desert landscapes.  Scandinavians love to go there for a sun tan and swimming.  It's also a major port for Israel. 

1. An Israeli Egged Bus was driving along the Israel/Egyptian border in Southern Israel when a car passed loaded with terrorists who opened fire.  This happened on Highway 12.  Nine people were wounded. 

2. A car driven by an Israeli with passengers was hit by an anti-tank missile in the second incident.

3. An IDF patrol vehicle was hit by either a grenade or some other kind of explosive device. 

The IDF gave chase after the terrorists and fire was exchanged between the two.  Now the public has been advised to stay away from Highways 10 and 12 which are now closed.  Kerem Shalom and Erez Crossing are also closed between Gaza and Israel.  This is so the Security and Rescue forces can get their work done. 

Eilat's neighbors are the Egyptian village of Taba and the Jordanian city of Aquaba.  One can even see Saudi Arabia across the Gulf.  The terrorists no doubt came from Gaza and belonged to Hamas. 

http://www.idf.il/1283-12807-EN/Dover.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat

http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-fire-israeli-bus-near-egyptian-border-radio-092156440.html update

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ Artuz Sheva; 2 Children Among Hurt in Multiple terror Attacks: 6 Dead by Chana Ya'ar. 

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/146938

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/08/18/terror-attack-on-israelegypt-border/

http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-gunmen-came-egypt-kill-7-162252598.html

updated 12:47pm Thursday in Portland, OR, another update 8/19/11 Friday 9:29 am

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-bus-driver-recounts-long-minutes-of-terror-attack-1.379444

Eilat and Jordan Hit by Long-Range Rockets

This morning both Eilat and Jordan were hit by long-range rockets and mortars. Eilat, the southern-most city in Israel with a population of about 65,000 is a popular holiday resort for tourists and Israelis. It is at the northern tip of the Red Sea. It lies next to Jordan.

The attack came from the Sinai peninsular in Egypt. I've been expecting something from Lebanon, but not from there. I hope Israel was more aware than I.

Five Grad rockets hit Jordan's resort, Aqaba, injuring four Jordanians. One exploded in front of the Intercontinental Hotel. Two cars were wrecked.

In Eilat, a rocket hit a taxi outside a hotel. It burst into flames. Two rockets exploded north of the city near the border with Jordan. Two more landed in the sea in Jordan waters.

The two cities had been hit on April 22 when two Katyusha rockets from Sinai exploded in Aqaba. There were no casualties then, either. In 2005 and 2007 both Al-Qaeda and Hamas were involved in attacks in Aqaba port. Then they killed a Jordanian soldier. A suicide bomber had attacked a bakery in Eilat and killed three bystanders.

It looks to me like Jordan would benefit if these terrorists could be stopped. They're also in the line of fire.

Resource: The Israel Project: press@theisraelproject.org