JERUSALEM – An attempted Palestinian raid of the Israeli border this weekend, purportedly to kidnap an Israeli soldier, was orchestrated by Syria and Iran, according to security officials associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday thwarted an attempt by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad terror group to kidnap a soldier on the Israeli side of a major crossing into the Gaza Strip.

Four terrorists approached the Israeli border in an SUV bearing "TV" signs in an attempt to disguise themselves as journalists. Reporters working in Gaza usually travel in cars with "TV" symbols to identify themselves. Upon reaching the crossing, the terrorists blew a hole in the border fence and attempted to storm an IDF position.

IDF troops rushed to the scene, chasing three of the gunmen back to the Gaza Strip. One of militants, 19-year-old Mohammed Jaabari, became separated from the group and hid inside Israel. Jaabari was shot dead after he opened fire when soldiers approached him, the IDF said.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The aim of the operation was to retreat with a prisoner," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad. "This was prevented by the use of Israeli helicopters."

This attempted kidnapping took place just before the one year anniversary of the kidnapping by Hamas and two other groups of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza and is being used as a bargaining chip by the Hamas-led Palestinian government to release Palestinian prisoners, including arrested terrorists, held in Israeli jails.

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Palestinian security officials associated with Fatah told WND this weekend's Islamic Jihad kidnap attempt was "completely orchestrated" by Syria and Iran. They said the operation was directly ordered by Ramadan Shallah, the overall chief of Islamic Jihad who resides in Syria and travels frequently to Iran.

The Palestinian security officials said they had information phone calls were made between Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the group's leadership in Damascus right before, during and after Saturday's kidnapping attempt.

"This operation was an Iranian and Syrian way to explode things and have another card on the table," said a Palestinian security official.

The official said Hamas has shown flexibility regarding releasing Shalit, whereas Islamic Jihad is not part of the Palestinian government, answers to Iran and would take a more hardened stance if it has an Israeli prisoner.

The official also said a successful kidnapping and raid of the Israeli border was estimated by Syria and Iran to have drawn Israel into a larger conflict in Gaza, thus distracting Israel from its northern border with Syria, where according to Israeli troops Syrian forces have been mobilizing the past few weeks. After Shalit's kidnapping last year, the IDF launched the largest operation it had conducted in Gaza since Israel evacuated the territory in 2005.

The claims of Syrian involvement in the weekend attack comes after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office this week confirmed reports Olmert, using third party mediators, has offered Syria the Golan Heights if the Damascus regime cuts its ties with Iran and ends support for Palestinian terror groups.

The Golan Heights is strategic mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers twice used by Syria to launch wars against the Jewish state. Mainstream U.S. and Israeli military experts have long maintained Israel must retain the Golan to ensure against a ground invasion from Syria.

WND first reported four weeks ago Olmert used third party sources to explore the possibility of talks with Syria aimed at an Israeli retreat from the Golan.

The reports of a retreat from the Golan Heights follows the recent release here of a government-appointed committee report slamming Olmert's decision-making process during last summer's war against the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. The report prompted mass demonstrations and widespread calls for Olmert to resign, including from the prime minister's own deputy, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Analysts here have been publicly speculating Olmert's popularity could rise within his leftist base if he conducted negotiations with the Palestinians or Syria.

WND reported in the weeks prior to the report's release that Olmert, anticipating a major backlash, held meetings with leading leftist figures here pledging to carry out Israeli withdrawals in exchange for their continued support, according to diplomatic sources. The sources said Olmert told the leftist leaders he is willing to reach a final status agreement with the Palestinians or conclude a peace agreement with Syria.

Multiple Knesset members this weekend bashed Olmert's willingness to relinquish the Golan, stating the prime minister was endangering his country's security to save his political career.

Syria prepping for war?

While Olmert is reportedly exploring handing vital territory to Damascus, Syria, aided by Iran, has deployed a strengthened army along Israel's northern border and is prepared to launch a surprise war against the Jewish state, according to senior Israeli security officials.

With Israelis this week commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War – when neighbors Egypt, Jordan and Syria attacked the Jewish state – Israeli security officials told WND Syria has prepared for a confrontation and is capable of launching an immediate war.

The officials say the Syrian army is deployed along the Syrian side of the Golan Heights with strengthened forces after carrying out stepped-up training of troops the past few weeks. The officials noted the open movement of Syrian Scud missiles near the border with Israel and said Syria recently increased production of rockets and acquired missiles capable of hitting central Israeli population centers.

The Syrian army has improved its fortifications, according to the Israeli security officials, and has received modern, Russian-made anti-tank missiles similar to the ones that devastated Israeli tanks during the last Lebanon war, causing the highest number of Israeli troop casualties during the 34 days of military confrontations. Syria also received from Russia advanced anti-aircraft missiles.

The officials noted Syria stepped up the pace of weapons, including rockets, being shipped from the Syrian border to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Just yesterday, a truckload of weaponry meant for Hezbollah was confiscated by the Lebanese army.

Assad on a number of occasions the past few months has told his state-run media Damascus is preparing for war. He warned Israel to evacuate the Golan Heights.

Last weekend, Assad called for "better cooperation" between Damascus and Tehran in "the confrontation with the Zionist regime and the USA," according to a report published Sunday by Iran's official state news agency, IRNA.

Earlier this week, an official from Assad's Baath party warned in a WND interview if Israel doesn't vacate the Golan, residents in the strategic territory would launch "resistance operations" against Israeli communities.

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