Major-General Ziv: New wave of attacks underway
Former chief of operations says despite low percentage of suicide attacks in recent years, they have claimed highestr rate of victims; warns of weapon smuggling from Egyptian border to Gaza
During a counter-terrorism conference international conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, the major-general reviewed the outcomes of terror attacks in Israel since the year 2000.
He noted that although suicide bombings constitute about one percent of all terror activities, "in terms of the numbers of victims we are talking about more than 50 percent of all casualties."
He added that the biggest number of casualties claimed in one month of suicide terror was "during the black March of the year 2000": Some 130 people killed in 13 incidents, led by the terror attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya.
'We'll see more rockets'
Ziv added that "terror organizations preserved suicide attacks as their strategic weapon, which brought them much success. He noted that the ceasefires and various truces aided in stopping suicide bombings, but that the other terror activities continued: Shooting at vehicles in the West Bank or hurting IDF soldiers.
The major-general added that after the war, terror organizations sought to obtain more weapons such as rockets, due to the affect Hizbullah left on Israelis, and that the ammunition may be transferred through the breached Egyptian-Gaza border.
"We'll see more rockets," he cautioned
The panel was attended by professionals from around the world who spoke about the methods used by their countries to deal with terror in general and with suicide bombings in particular. Former colonel from the US Army, who served in Iraq, spoke at the conference, alongside military officials from India and England.
