AL QAEDA RECRUITING IN GAZA

Al Qaeda Recruiting In Gaza (NYSun)
The refugee camp of Khan Yunis "has long been fertile soil for radical groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Now there are growing indications it is also becoming a breeding ground for Al-Qaeda," the Sunday Times (London) reports.

Palestinian security officials claim to have growing evidence that Osama Bin Laden's terror network, which has hitherto shown little interest in Gaza and the West Bank, is recruiting ...

The organisation has been helped by the lawlessness that has engulfed the Palestinian territories since Hamas emerged as the surprise winner of parliamentary elections on January 25 and formed a government ...

Analysts believe that, as its fortunes wane in Iraq, Al-Qaeda thinks some form of coup in Gaza or the West Bank could help it increase support across the Middle East, where the fate of the Palestinians is a symbol of the wider Arab cause.

A reminder why a Hamas state is not just a threat to Israel.

SEE ALSO: Top Hamas Terrorist in Contact with Al-Qaeda - Jacky Hogi (Maariv-Hebrew, 9Apr06) (No Link)
The military wing of Hamas in Gaza, under the command of Muhammad Def, has been in contact with al-Qaeda members in Iraq and Jordan, Al-Hayat reports. Def has begun to distance himself from the military leadership of Hamas in the wake of differences of opinion regarding the continuation of the struggle against Israel. A senior PA official warned that Gaza is not al-Qaeda's only venue: "The Jihad idea has begun to penetrate the West Bank. Small groups have begun to form in a number of areas via the Internet and books that come from Jordan and Egypt."

"This is a factor that will very much occupy the Israeli security services in the coming years." According to the report, the attack on Mike's Place pub in Tel Aviv in 2003 was not a Hamas attack; rather the two British bombers of Pakistani origin were recruited by al-Qaeda. Palestinian security sources in Jordan foresee the appointment of an al-Qaeda commander for Palestine, just as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the commander of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Currently, al-Qaeda activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories are directed from afar by the group's branches in Iraq and Syria.

The Saudi Militant Threat in Israel and the Palestinian Territories (Stratfor)
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal revealed April 4 that Israel is holding a Saudi national suspected of being an al-Qaeda operative, and that Riyadh is working to have him extradited to the kingdom. Not only are militants affiliated with al-Qaeda's Egyptian and Iraqi nodes trying to break into Israel and the Palestinian territories, but those connected to the Saudi branch are doing so as well. The entry of al-Qaeda-style jihadists into the Palestinian territories following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza has been cause for concern in the region, and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have acknowledged the presence of such militants who have entered the area from Egypt. What is odd here, however, is that a Saudi jihadist gained entry into Israel via Jordan.

Wanted Palestinian Recruited by Al-Qaeda? - Efrat Weiss (Ynet News)
IDF soldiers on Thursday detained a wanted Palestinian terror suspect in the village of Hizma, north of Jerusalem, who was allegedly recruited by al-Qaeda to operate in the West Bank.