Mideast Report

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The head of Israel Defense Force intelligence said this week that Hamas is not planning suicide bombings because it is trying to strengthen its hold in the self-rule areas.

Maj. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon said Hamas members had not joined recent riots in the West Bank town of Hebron and in the Gaza Strip -- but he warned that another fundamentalist group, Islamic Jihad, was interested in carrying out mass terror attacks.

Ya'alon's remarks came a day after an Israeli military court sentenced Hamas member Hassan Salameh to 46 consecutive life terms for planning suicide bombings in Israel last year.

Meanwhile, a Hamas member turned himself in to Palestinian authorities this week in Hebron, four days after escaping from jail.

Violence flares anew in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- Katyusha rockets landed in northern Israel Wednesday, causing no damage or injuries.

The rocket fire was the third time in recent days that missiles aimed at Israeli army positions in Israel's southern Lebanon security zone overshot their targets and landed in Israel itself.

An Israeli officer was killed in a clash with Hezbollah gunmen in the northeastern sector of the zone Sunday, during a day of heavy fighting.

Israeli fighter jets and helicopter gunships struck Hezbollah positions afterward, reported accurate hits and returned safely.

Israel urges France to patrol Lebanon

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai has proposed a gradual Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon, with French troops taking their place.

Mordechai raised the issue in a meeting with his French counterpart last month during the International Air Show in France. Earlier in the week, Israeli media reported that Mordechai had proposed the stationing of a French-led multinational force to gradually replace the Israeli presence in southern Lebanon.

Students allegedly cheat on Bible tests

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israeli high school students cramming for their Bible matriculation exams must have skimmed over some key commandments, including "thou shalt not lie" and "thou shalt not steal."

Israeli police this week detained a government printing office employee, who is suspected of giving his teenage daughter a copy of this year's Bible exam, in the hope of helping her get a better grade.

His daughter allegedly passed the test questions on to a friend, and from there copies of the test were believed to have been purchased or obtained by more than 150 high school seniors from Herzliya, a Tel Aviv suburb.

Police were investigating whether students also obtained copies of the exams in mathematics, grammar and civics. The Education Ministry ordered an inquiry into the matter.

Wild pigs in Jordan shut border down

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A group of wild pigs moving in bushes nearly caused an international incident on the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan this week.

Hearing the suspicious movements, Israel closed the Allenby crossing for a few hours overnight.

Suspecting a terrorist infiltration attempt, the Jordanian soldiers had opened fire. No one was hurt. The Allenby crossing resumed normal operations on Wednesday.

Army chief reported to be stepping down

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- In an unprecedented move, the Israeli army's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, will not seek to have his term extended to a full fourth year, Israel TV's Channel 2 reported this week.

The report attributed Shahak's decision to discontent over his working relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the TV report, Shahak, 53, is to inform Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai that he is not interested in extending his term.

Shahak telephoned Netanyahu Saturday night to deny the report, Israel Radio reported, and his office also issued a denial.

It would be the first time a chief of general staff did not seek a fourth year, which has traditionally been granted automatically.