SECURITY/DEFENSE:
• Motorist on Tuesday morning reports shots fired at his vehicle near Alfei Menashe in Shomron. IDF forces inspecting following the report did not find signs of gunfire.

• An Arab motorist on Tuesday morning tried crashing a Maale Adumim area military checkpoint. His vehicle came to a halt after he ran over the checkpoint’s spikes. The driver tried to flee but was apprehended by border police along with the 8 occupants of the car, illegal PA residents being smuggled into the capital.

• Mortar shells fired from Gaza at about noontime landed in open areas near Kibbutz Nachal Oz. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

• 12:30PM – at least 10 mortar shells fired into southern Israel during the last hour. B’chasdei Hashem, no injuries.

• IAF targeted terrorists in Gaza after no less than 18 mortar shells landed in the Kibbutz Nachal Oz area on Tuesday, until 1:00PM. PA sources report at least three terrorists dead and seven injured.

• An Arab male with a large knife was taken into custody at an IDF checkpoint in the Ramallah area.

• 19:00 – at least 28 rockets landed in the Greater Sderot Area since Tuesday morning. B’chasdei Hashem there are no reports of deaths or injuries.

POLITICS, DOMESTIC & MORE:
• Kibbutz Sarid: A 22-year-old female was bitten by a Palestinian viper snake on Tuesday morning. She was transported to Ha’emek Hospital in Afula, reportedly in moderate condition.

• A 70-year-old man was found with his throat and abdomen cut on Keren Yesod Street in Migdal Ha’emek on Tuesday morning. A helicopter was dispatched from Poriah Hospital in Tiveria to transport him. He died of his massive injuries a number of hours later in hospital.

• Israeli Ambassador to London told the Daily Telegraph that Britain during recent years has become “A hotbed for radical anti-Israel views”.

• A 20-year-old male was transported to Beilinson Hospital in light condition after being stabbed in his neck on Tuesday morning. The motive for the attack is not reported at this time.

• PM Olmert on Tuesday, at weekly cabinet meeting, called upon ministers to refrain from releasing statements to the media on sensitive matters, hinting to Minister Mofaz stating Israel will attack Iran.

• Meretz Party leader Chaim Oron called on the government on Tuesday to “stop procrastinating” and accept the Egyptian-brokered truce with Hamas, transfer tax funds to the PA and thereby, expediting the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

• PA: Israel has released tax funds but millions are still missing.

• Jewish Agency to fund summer camp for Greater Sderot Area children, allocating NIS 5 million to the project, much of which is coming from donations.

• Highway 1, the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway was closed late Tuesday afternoon in the direction of Yerushalayim near Kiryat Yearim due to a large forest fire. Five Beit Shemesh fire companies responded to the blaze.

 (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)