It is now being reported that American intelligence experts studying last Thursday’s multipronged terror attacks in the Eilat area believe there is a link to al-Qaeda, the Washington Times reports. 

The experts believe the attacks were perpetrated by terrorists affiliated with the Army of Islam (Jaish al Islam), a Gaza based organization or the Popular Resistance Committee, both with links to al-Qaeda. One expert who studies al-Qaeda indicates another possibility may be a new al-Qaeda entity operating out of Sinai. 

According to Dr. Dore Gold, a former Israel Ambassador to the United Nations and the current head of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, “There has been a history of close operational coordination between Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees and Jaish al Islam, which is the most important of the al Qaeda affiliates in the Gaza Strip.” Gold has also served as an advisor to prime ministers, and holds a PhD in political science and Middle Eastern Studies.

Gold added the terrorist organizations do cooperate with one another, and Sinai is an ideal venue for joining forces towards striking out against Israeli targets.

The deadly attack on Thursday, which claimed 8 lives has Israeli government and military officials concerned, realizing it signals a new reality regarding Egypt and its willingness to control such cross-border incursions of terrorists. The military rule that has replaced Israel’s ally, President Hosni Mubarak, appears less willing to maintain close ties that have been the reality since the signing of peace agreements between the two countries, namely the Camp David Accord which was signed in 1979. At that time, Prime Minister Menachem Begin expelled Jews from Yamit and other Sinai area communities in exchange for peace. Ironically, some of those expellees relocated to Gush Katif, acting upon the encouragement of Ariel Sharon, only to be expelled in 2005 by the very same Sharon who was then prime minister.

According to reports, as many as two dozen heavily armed terrorists participated in the attacks last week, which targeted civilian buses and cars with automatic weapons fire and shoulder-held missiles. Terrorists also tried to down an air force chopper that responded to the scene but Baruch Hashem, the missile missed its intended target.

American experts point out the attacks in southern Israel last week signal a similarity to the al-Qaeda operation in Mumbai in November 2008 in which 168 people were murdered, including the Chabad Shaliach Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his rebbitzen Rivkah Holtzberg, along with Rabbi Aaron Leibish Teitlebaum; Norma Rabinovitch-Shvarzblat; Bentzion Chroman; and Yocheved Orpaz HY”D.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)