IDF warns: More terrorists have crossed into Israel

The defense establishment is looking into the possibility that the suicide bombers who carried out the attack on a Dimona shopping center Monday crossed into Israel through the Gaza-Egypt border.

A woman were killed and eight others were wounded after a suicide bomber exploded in a commercial center in the southern city. A second suicide bomber was apparently killed by a police officer before detonating.

A security source told Ynet that "it is still too early in the investigation to determine the terrorists' route, but the breached border between Gaza and Egypt certainly increased the threat."

However, the investigation has yet to rule out the possibility that the bombers came from the West Bank, since there is no separation fence in the area.

The IDF and Shin Bet are also trying to locate anyone who might have assisted the terrorists. The defense establishment believes that more terror cells are located in the Sinai Peninsula and may have already crossed over to Israel.

"The terror groups are highly motivated and their inability to penetrate the security fence in Gaza only makes them want top carry out more attack through the Gaza-Egyptian route into Israel," said the source.

"If it turns out that the terrorists came through Gaza, than we're dealing with the same thing as we did in the Eilat bombing a year ago."

A familiar risk

The security establishment has been warning of an incident in which terrorist will try to enter Israel from Sinai and Gaza in the past few weeks since the border breach at Rafah Crossing.

The Israeli-Egyptian border has no ground barriers and "Hourglass" – the Israeli-Egyptian border fence program – has not receiving regular funding in the last few years.

Senior security officials have warned of the new front forming in the sector, and the essential need for some sort of a ground barrier – such as a fence – to be built, at least on part of the 124-mile border.

One of the first precautionary measures taken by the security establishment was restricting traffic on Highway 10, along the border and increasing alertness in the area.

The security establishment foiled a suicide bombing in Beersheba on July 2007, after arresting a terrorist carrying an explosive belt. The man later admitted to infiltrating Israel after crossing into Gaza from Sinai. Security sources told Ynet several other similar attempts have been foils as well.

Sunday's cabinet meeting also revolved around the need to block the breached Israeli-Egyptian border. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke of the infiltration issue, saying "the problem (in Gaza) wan't created yesterday or even recently and we don't have a simple answer for it.

"We're trying to see what our options are and we have to be cautious… I recommend we don't get caught up in the heat of the moment, natural as it may be."