Terrorist 'Sniper' Caught, Attack Averted

Gaza terrorist arrested after seeking health permit to enter Israel, charged with plotting sniper attacks on soldiers.

By Maayana Miskin

First Publish: 12/26/2013, 2:54 PM

Sniper (illustrative), Israel news photo: Flash 90

 

A terrorist from Gaza was arrested in early December in connection to shooting attacks and other terrorist activity targeting Israelis, the Shin Bet revealed Thursday.
The terrorist was identified as 32-year-old Mohammed Abu-Amshah, a resident of Beit Hanoun and a member of the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
He is accused of several terror-related offenses, including planning sniper attacks on IDF soldiers operating near the Gaza security barrier. A similar attack killed a civilian IDF employee earlier this week.
Under interrogation Abu-Amshah said "he had collected information on IDF patrol movements in different areas and collected information on their target practice exercises", according to the IDF. Before the attack could be carried out, Abu Amasha was injured and had to go to Ramallah for medical care, forcing the attack to be postponed until he returned to Gaza.
Amshah was caught after requesting a permit to enter Israel on humanitarian grounds. He was seeking to travel to Ramallah for medical care.
He is scheduled to be indicted Thursday for attempted murder, contact with a foreign agent, and conspiracy to murder.
In a statement, the IDF condemned the "exploitation" of Israeli humanitarian gestures by Arab terrorists.
"Every month, the IDF authorizes the entry of thousands of Gaza Strip residents into Israel for humanitarian, medical and other purposes. Terrorists exploit this situation as an opportunity to carry out more acts of terror, to make money transfers for terror purposes, and to smuggle contraband into Israel. In this case, the terrorist exploited the humanitarian situation in order to eventually be able to go through with his plan to kill."