Shin Bet says Hizbullah trying to kidnap Israeli citizens while Nasrallah urges Palestinian suicide attacks

Published July 2nd, 2002 - 03:00 GMT

Israel’s Shin Bet security service recently foiled attempts by Hizbullah to lure Israeli civilians abroad or to the northern border in order to kidnap them, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

Qais Obayad, an Arab Israeli from Taibe who emigrated a few years ago to Lebanon, made contact on behelf of the Lebanese resistance group with several Israeli civilians, the report added. He used various business propositions to entice them to Europe or the northern border in order to kidnap them.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah delivered a speech in the Yarmuk refugee camp near Damascus on Monday, commemorating the 40th day since the assassination of Jihad Jibril, son of the commander of the PFLP [Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine] - General Command.

Nasrallah said that “martyrdom operations” (suicide bombing attacks) have destroyed Israel's economy and forced Israeli settlers to flee in panic.

In his speech, Nasrallah described U.S. President Bush's speech as “ridiculous.”

Nasrallah anticipated that martyrdom operations in Palestine would destroy the wall the Israelis are building now “to separate the settlements built in 1948 and those in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.” (Albawaba.com)