Steve Quayle News Alerts

August 8, 2002
By Ha'aretz Service

In the first six months of 2002, 238 people were killed in 1,071 terror attacks, a 90 percent increase in the number of attacks compared with the first half of 2001, in which 68 people were killed, Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonisky told reporters Wednesday.

Police officials explained the difficulties law enforcement was facing in recent months - numerous terror attacks, a surge in violence and an increase in the number of fatalities in road accidents. Aharonisky also said that the police budget and manpower resources were low, with most of the resources allocated to security operations.

In the first half of 2002, 1,935 people were hurt in terror attacks, the majority of which took place within the Green Line, compared with 731 people hurt in attacks in the first six months of 2001. Nineteen policemen have been killed and 60 injured since the beginning of the intifada in September 2000.

Jerusalem has been the target of the largest number of attacks - 49 attacks have taken place in the capital in the past two years, compared with seven attacks in Tel Aviv.

Aharonisky mentioned police handling of Palestinians in Israel without work permits as an important aspect of the fight against terror. Police dealt with 136,000 Palestinians illegally in Israel, during the first six months of 2002 - an 86 percent increase compared to the same period in 2001.

During the first half of 2002 there was a decline in overall crime, but violence increased. There were eight murders within the family in the first half of 2002, and a 2 percent increase in drug-related offences. Aharonisky said that the fight against drugs should be considered a national priority.

There was a 3.2 percent increase in the number of road accidents in the first six months of 2002 compared to the first half of 2001, with 255 people killed in accidents.

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