Palestinian militants had intended to use cyanide gas in a suicide bomb attack that was carried out in Israel during the Passover holiday in March, an Israeli Army spokesman said yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 2).

Israeli military chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi told an Israeli parliamentary committee Tuesday about the plan to incorporate cyanide gas into the bombing of a hotel in the Israeli city of Netanya.  A technical malfunction, however, prevented the use of the gas, Zeevi said, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

There was no presence of cyanide at the scene of the bombing, said Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ron Kitrey.  “We are talking about an intention,” he said, adding that Palestinian militants had previously coated bombs with rat poison.

The intention to use cyanide gas was part of an effort by Palestinian militants to launch a “mega attack” — one that would result in a large number of casualties, Kitrey said (Yoav Appel, Associated Press/Yahoo.com, June 5).

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top