Israeli police detain a car carrying 10 Palestinian laborers and explosives btwn. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, stopping what the Israeli DMin. says is a major bombing attempt meant to disrupt Israel’s 3/28 elections; 1 of the laborers from Yamun, where the IDF killed a 8-yr.-old girl during an arrest raid on 3/17, reportedly has ties to Islamic Jihad. Israel allows the Qarni crossing to reopen for the importation of basic goods (see 3/20); Jordan sends 200 truckloads of food aid. The IDF patrols in Askar r.c., firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. In the 2d such incident in 2 days, unidentified gunmen fire on, seriously damage the car of Qalqilya Mayor Hashim al-Masri, parked outside his home.(AFP, IMEMC, REU 3/21; MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/22; JP, Jordan Times 3/22 in WNC 3/23; OCHA, PCHR 3/23)
Tuesday, March 21, 2006