The Karni Compound - Terrorism Information

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

June 2004

The Karni Compound: A Focus of Terrorist Activity

In the Karni area, which is near the city of Gaza, there is a border crossing through which 700-800 trucks loaded with merchandise pass back and forth between Israel and the Gaza Strip every day. For the Palestinian population living in the Strip it serves as a lifeline: Gazan agricultural products and manufactured goods pass through it to Israel, the West Bank and overseas, and from the Israeli side come vital raw materials, foodstuffs and humanitarian aid (milk for infants, basic commodities, etc.)

Therefore, any disruption of the Karni checkpoint's smooth functioning causes a severe shortage of basic staples in the Gaza Strip, reduces sources of income and worsens the distress of the Palestinian population. All of the above notwithstanding, the Palestinian terrorist organizations have turned their attention to the checkpoint and its adjacent industrial area and made it a target for their attacks, seriously reducing its activity -- as they did with the Erez compound.

In that context it should be recalled that in March 1996 the Palestinian Islamic Jihad exploited the passage of goods through the checkpoint to smuggle into Israel the suicide bomber who perpetrated the attack on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, in which 13 people were killed and 125 wounded. The suicide bomber and a suitcase full of explosives were hidden in a truck which passed into Israeli through the Karni checkpoint. As a result of the attack, security regulations at the checkpoint were changed.

To sum up: Abbas al-Sayyid's extensive activity clearly demonstrates that there can be no distinction between the operational-terrorist activity and the political, propaganda, organizational and financial activity of Hamas senior political activists or operatives. For Al-Sayyid served as a senior activist and operative in both the operational field and the civilian-political infrastructure of the Hamas movement in the West Bank, and the Tulkarm region in particular. In this respect, he kept close ties with both political and operational senior cadres within Hamas and even with Hamas headquarters in Damascus . At the same time, he was involved in planning terror attacks designed to cause mass murder among civilians. It should be noted that these patterns of activity, combining both the political and operational fields, are similar to activities of senior Hamas activists and operatives in other cities (for example, Abu al-Hija', leader of Hamas in Jenin, and Abd al-Khaleq Natsheh, a senior Hamas figure in Ramallah, all of whom responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israeli civilians).

The terrorist organizations view the Karni border crossing as an easy passageway through which to import weapons and ammunition and to export terrorists. For example:-

In April and May 2004, two explosives belts were discovered in consignments of clothing intended for the Palestinian Authority-administered territories on the West Bank. To avoid metal detection during the security check, they did not contain shrapnel.

In March 2004, a double suicide bombing attack was perpetrated at the southern port of Ashdod. The terrorists involved left the Gaza Strip hidden behind a double wall fitted into a container which went from the Strip into Israeli territory.

In June 2003, a forged authorization for the transport of 20 tons of concentrated sulfuric acid into the Gaza Strip was discovered. The acid itself, which in high concentrations is used in the manufacture of explosives, had already entered the Strip.

In December 2002, a truck containing 7,500 rifle bullets was discovered. The ammunition was on its way to terrorists in the Strip.

In October 2002, a truck with a false roof was discovered; the roof concealed 2,000 rifle bullets.

In August 2002, Bassel Arif, a Palestinian Security Service activist from Ramallah on the West Bank, stated at his interrogation by Israeli security forces that during the three previous years, more than 1,500 assault rifles and half a million bullets had been smuggled into the Strip via various methods.

In June 2002, a truck on its way into the Strip was discovered carrying a number of rifles and more than 30,000 bullets.

Criticism from the Palestinian Authority

On June 7, 2004, the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds reported that the previous day the High Coordination Council of the private sector of the PA-administered territories met with PA officials at the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza. Maher al-Massri, who hold the Economics and Trade Portfolio, stated that “it was absolutely forbidden for any group whatsoever to exploit the Karni border crossing for non-commercial purposes which would lead to its closing and cause damage to both the private sector and consumers.”

Appendix A

The Karni Compound – Aerial view

Appendix B

Major Attacks at the Karni Compound