Reuters adds:The IDF and Shin Bet uncovered 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate hidden in sacks that
were disguised as aid from the European Union, the army announced on Saturday.
Security forces discovered the stash in the cargo of a Palestinian truck at a West Bank checkpoint earlier in December. According to the IDF, the material, hidden in sugar sacks, was planned to be used by terrorists in the Gaza Strip."Potassium Nitrate is a banned substance in the Gaza Strip and the Judea and Samaria region due to its use by terrorists for the manufacturing of explosives and Kassam rockets," the IDF spokesperson wrote in a statement.
"This is another example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval," the statement read.
"We are looking into this report," said an EU official in Israel. "If it is found to be accurate, this is an illegal act that should be condemned."It will be very interesting to see if this story gets any traction in European news outlets, and if there are any reactions of outrage by EU diplomats. So far, I cannot find it being picked up by any specific newspapers or websites outside Reuters. (Typically, major stories will be picked up by many news outlets in minutes.)
UPDATE: The story is now over six hours old and only a satirical UK site has published it, according to Google News.