Netanya terror attack (Archive)
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Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin
Photo: AP
2005: Qassams up, casualties down
Last year saw a significant decrease in the number of Israelis killed, injured in terror attacks, while Qassam and mortar attacks intensified, a Shin Bet report summarizing 'the year of the lull' reveals
A drop of 60 percent in the number of Israelis killed in terror attacks was registered in 2005, as well as a decrease of 30 percent in the number of Israelis injured during such strikes, a report published Monday by the Shin Bet revealed.
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During what has been named "the year of the lull" - which officially started on January 22 - 2,990 terror attacks were reported, and an increase in the number of Qassam and mortar shell attacks was registered as well.
According to the report, the Shin Bet arrested 160 would-be suicide bombers in the West Bank in 2005.
The study also claims that terror attacks launched from the West Bank were successfully carried out in Israel due to three major weak spots in the Israeli defense establishment: The inspection at roadblocks and checkpoints; the lack of a security fence in the area surrounding Jerusalem and south of Hebron; and the assistance given to terrorists by illegal aliens.
Substantial decrease in Gaza attacks
Furthermore, 2005 saw a growth in rocket attacks in comparison to 2004: 377 rockets landed in Israel in 2005, compared to only 309 the previous year. The number of attacks in the West Bank also increased over the past year, with 379 attacks carried out compared to 288 in 2004.
The most substantial decrease in the number of terror acts was registered in the Gaza Strip, where attacks dropped by more than half from 2,637 in 2004 to 1,205 in 2005.
According to the defense establishment, the level of motivation among terror groups to strike against Israeli targets did not changed in 2005, and the number of terror alerts remained high.
However, the number of Israelis killed and injured in 2005 in terror attacks significantly plummeted: 45 Israelis were killed and 406 were wounded in such strikes, compared to 117 killed and 589 injured in 2004.
The decline in the number of attacks stemmed mainly from the IDF's success in thwarting or impeding them beforehand, the report stated
