A Palestinian sniper in the Gaza Strip targeted Friday Israel's new defense minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, but missed, according to Army Radio.
The incident occurred during a tour of Israeli positions in the Gaza Strip, witnesses were quoted by agencies as saying, but the hawkish Labor minister survived.
TV footage showed Ben-Eliezer and chief of staff Shaul Mofaz the moment of the one-bullet shooting while the two men were coming down from the roof of the Israeli army headquarters building. The were protected by their bodyguards.
Reuters said that the defense chief, who started his career with heated statements against the Palestinians, was not wearing a bulletproof vest.
The agency quoted Israeli military sources as saying they were unsure whether the sniper had been aiming at another Israeli position nearby, and his shot had gone wide, or had actually been targeting Ben-Eliezer.
In a report by Albawaba.com on Thursday, sources said that Israel is strengthening security around Mofaz after the security apparatus received information of a plan to assassinate the army chief in revenge for the series of assassinations carried out by the Israeli army which has clamed the lives of more than 23 Palestinian leaders.
Meanwhile, 40 Palestinians were injured in a another day of rage Friday in confrontations with the Israeli occupation troops – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
