'Israel must brace for Jihad's response'

By YAAKOV KATZ AND HERB KEINON

Israel must take precautions and be on the alert for a possible response by the Islamic Jihad to recent IAF bombings in Gaza that killed a number of its members, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told US security coordinator James Jones on Tuesday.

Palestinians inspect the remains of a car after it was hit in an IAF missile strike in Gaza City, Monday.
Photo: AP

Barak told Jones that Israel "must hope that the IDF successes [in Gaza] continue to prevent rocket attacks against the western Negev."

Following the IDF operations, Islamic Jihad spokesman in the Gaza Strip Abu Hamza hinted that his organization would carry out suicide attacks in Jewish towns in the Gaza periphery in retaliation.

"We have a long arm. You will soon [experience] strikes similar to those we carried out in Tel Aviv, Netanya and Eilat," Abu Hamza said in a message to residents of the towns broadcast on Hamas television, warning that his organization would step up Kassam attacks on Sderot, Ashkelon, Yad Mordechai and Netivot.

Earlier, in an e-mail sent to reporters, Islamic Jihad said it would retaliate for its losses with suicide attacks inside Israel, threatening "a wave of martyrdom operations."

Jones arrived late Monday night for his first visit to the area since US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed him Special Envoy for Middle East Security shortly after the Annapolis conference last month.

He met Monday in Paris with Palestinian officials, and, in addition to Barak, was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and other top security officials during a 24-hour visit on Tuesday.