Diskin: Hamas is trying to rebuild infrastructure in West Bank

"The IDF and Shin Bet prevented a major suicide attack last week: Terrorists tried to smuggle a car bomb and several suicide bombers into Israel… security forces intercepted the car, blew it up and seven terrorists were killed," Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin revealed in Sunday's cabinet meeting. He was referring to an incident on Thursday near the Kissufim border crossing in the central Gaza Strip.

"In recent months there have been numerous attempts, both from Gaza and from the West Bank, to carry out attacks on Israel," he told the ministers.

According to Diskin, the IDF uncovered a big Hamas weapons lab a few days ago. The organization, he said, is trying to rebuild its infrastructure in the West Bank and is doing its best to intensify weapons smuggling from Egypt.

Fatah, said Diskin, has demonstrated some policy changes: "Fatah is trying to organize mass prayers on Fridays and the Palestinian Authority has closed down 103 of Hamas' establishments in the West Bank.

"We have also seen some sporadic attempts at preventive action on part of Palestinian security forces," he added. "They have limited effect, but they show a certain change in policy."

Earlier Sunday, an IDF force at a checkpoint near Nablus detained a Palestinian teen, who was found to be carrying three pipe bombs meant to be used in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

An IDF investigation revealed that the youth was ordered to transfer the explosives from one side of the checkpoint to the other, where he was to hand them over to the suicide bomber. The explosives were seized and detonated by army sappers.