Palestinians Have Ability to Launch Chemical Attacks

Palestinian insurgents have the ability to use chemical weapons during terrorist attacks but have not yet done so because of the possible repercussions, a senior Israeli security official said this week (see GSN, Jan. 7).

“It is not a problem for terrorist organizations to obtain chemical materials, and they are aware of the advantages of such an attack; but on the other hand (they know) it would be considered breaking all the rules of the game,” the official said.

Dangerous chemicals are available at numerous commercial sites throughout Israel, the official said. Israeli security officials have previously found traces of common but dangerous chemicals on nails and shrapnel from suicide bombings, but police are not certain that the explosives were intentionally tainted, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israeli police are set to hold their annual major security drill Tuesday. The exercise will simulate a chemical attack on a school (Etgar Lefkovits, Jerusalem Post, Oct. 31).

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