Palestinians in Gaza Fired Two More Qassams at Ashkelon Wednesday Evening
"Eight people were lightly wounded Wednesday evening when Palestinians in Gaza fired two Qassam rockets at the southern coastal city of Ashkelon on Wednesday evening. One of the rockets slammed into a southern neighborhood and the second landed in the Zikim area. Eight people suffered from shock, including two seven-year-old children, and were treated by Magen David Adom paramedics.
Hamas' military wing claimed responsibility for the two Qassam rockets fired into Ashkelon."
Report: Kidnappers Relax Their Demand
Hamas, according to the paper, was now demanding the release of 100 woman prisoners, and 30 prisoners who have already served sentences of 20 years.
An initial report regarding Hamas's softening of its stance was released Wednesday evening, but as of Thursday morning officials in the defense and security establishments had yet to respond.
The government refused to negotiate, calling the kidnappers' demands
"extortion."
The full details of Wednesday's offer have not been disclosed, but Palestinian sources said that the kidnappers would consider releasing Shalit at a time they would determine if Israel would agree to a plan for the gradual release of prisoners, Army Radio reported.
Police Arrest Five Senior Hamas Officials in East Jerusalem
Neo-Nazis Hijack Gala to Burn Anne Frank Diary
Probes of links to Hizballah Grow
MI5 Conducts Secret Inquiry into 8,000 al-Qaeda "Sympathizers"
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Up to 8,000 suspected al-Qaeda sympathizers are being investigated by MI5 and the police in an operation to identify future terrorists.
The nationwide investigation follows intelligence suggesting there is a very small, but significant number of British-born and Britain-based Muslims, who are prepared to carry out bombings and other terrorist attacks in this country."
Al-Qaeda "Bid to Infiltrate MI5"
Al-Qaeda sympathizers have been trying to infiltrate the British security service MI5, Whitehall officials confirmed.
But those with al-Qaeda sympathies were weeded out during a six to eight-month vetting process, officials added.
MI5 believes, from polls, that around 400,000 people in the UK are "sympathetic to violent jihad around the world."
MI5 is expanding from its current level of 2,600 officers to an eventual 3,500, to cope with the terrorist threat.
Terror Plots Accelerating in Britain
"Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism branch is involved in an 'unprecedented' 70 investigations, Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch, warned Monday."
Islam in Britain
'Some 13% of British Muslims consider the 7/7 bombers to be martyrs. That translates into 234,000 people."
Secret Agent Interviews Rock French Terrorism Trial
