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Palestinian police discover West Bank bomb lab
July 21, 1997
Web posted at: 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian police found explosives and other bomb-making materials at a West Bank apartment on Monday. Three Palestinians were arrested.
The apartment in Beit Sahour, a village outside Bethlehem, was being used by the Islamic militant group Hamas to prepare a bombing attack, police said.
Jewish religious prayer shawls, wigs, false beards and Israeli army uniforms were found with the explosives. Bombers and kidnappers often pose as religious Jews or Israeli soldiers to enter Israel and carry out attacks, officials said.
"We found live TNT, hydrogen, chemicals, acids, timers and watches." said Bethlehem area police chief Col. Kamal al-Sheikh.
Among the materials found were 30 kilograms of explosives contained in a device ready to be detonated.
"Only experts can prepare these explosives," he said.
Hamas has carried out a series of bomb attacks that killed scores of Israelis. The most recent attack took place in March, when a suicide bombing in a Tel Aviv cafe killed three Israeli women and the bomber.
Hamas opposes Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's peace accord with the Israeli government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted coolly to the discovery of the bomb factory.
"I would like to see these efforts made continuously and not only as a result of pressure after the exposure of the gravest activity by the Palestinian police," Netanyahu said.
On Sunday, Netanyahu lashed out at Arafat's Palestinian Authority over alleged involvement of Palestinian police in plans to attack Jewish settlers.
The Palestinian police denied it was involved in attacks against Israelis. Arafat ordered an inquiry, and on Sunday Palestinian police arrested at least four police officers.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace process has effectively been frozen since March, when the Netanyahu government decided to go ahead with the controversial construction of a Jewish housing project on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Arafat has accused Netanyahu of going back on the peace agreements signed by both sides, but the Israeli government has rejected the accusations.
Correspondent Jerrold Kessel and Reuters contributed to this report.
- Message Board: Palestine - Land of Conflict
- Newsmaker Profile: Benjamin Netanyahu - Israeli Prime Minister
- Newsmaker Profile: Yasser Arafat - Palestinian Leader
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