Border fence, Sunday
Photo: Yoav Zitun
The breach in the border fence through which the Bethlehem terrorist behind the Bat Yam bus blast infiltrated into Israeli territory is still penetrable, Ynet learned Sunday.
Reportedly, Palestinians have continued to enter Israel illegally through breaches in the border fence near south Mt. Hebron since the Bat Yam terror attack, including on Sunday.
During questioning, Sami Harimi, who planted an explosive device on a bus in central Israel, confessed to have infiltrated into Israeli territory through the border fence, along with other Palestinians. Before laying the explosive, Harimi said he had stopped at a Jaffa mosque to pray.
A Sunday IDF patrol revealed that though military troops are regularly patrolling along the fence, Palestinians continue to infiltrate into Israeli territory with the help of runners who charge several hundred shekels per person.
Sources with the defense establishment estimated that currently some 80,000 Palestinians who have crossed into Israel illegally reside in the State, and that some 6,000 cross the border fence every month.
The sources are aware of the fact that several locations along the border are penetrable to infiltrators, and attributed the breaches to lack of funds and legal disputes.
Lieutenant Colonel Eli Jeno with the Givati Brigade said that "when an infiltrator is caught, he is released shortly, unless he is caught a third time, in which case penalties are hardly deterring, if at all."
According to Jeno, most of the infiltrators are in search of employment and the State must regulate the issue. "We faced seven incidents in which we were forced to shoot in the direction of Palestinians who tried to sabotage the fence."