Editing Lavon Affair (section)

===Operation commenced===
Aman decided to activate the network in the spring of 1954. On 2 July, the cell detonated bombs at a [[post office]] in [[Alexandria]],<ref name="BlackMorris1992">{{cite book |last1=Black |first1=Ian |last2=Morris |first2=Benny |author-link1=Ian Black (journalist) |author-link2=Benny Morris |title=Israel's secret wars: a history of Israel's intelligence services |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WFm21j2sZBAC |access-date=19 June 2011 |date=1 June 1992 |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=978-0-8021-3286-4 |page=111}}</ref> and on 14 July, it bombed the libraries of the [[U.S. Information Agency]] in [[Alexandria]] and Cairo, and a British-owned theater. The homemade bombs, consisting of bags containing acid placed over [[nitroglycerine]], were inserted into books and placed on the shelves of the libraries just before closing time. Several hours later, as the acid ate through the bags, the bombs would explode. They did little damage to the targets and caused no injuries or deaths.
[[File:Meir Max Bineth.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Meir Max Bineth]]]]

Before the group began the operation, Israeli agent [[Avri Elad]] (Avraham Seidenberg) was sent to oversee the operations. Elad assumed the identity of Paul Frank, a former [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] officer with [[Nazism|Nazi]] underground connections. Avri Elad allegedly informed the Egyptians, resulting in the Egyptian [[intelligence agency]] following a suspect to his target, the Rio Theatre, where a fire engine was standing by. Egyptian authorities arrested this suspect, Philip Natanson, when his bomb accidentally ignited prematurely in his pocket. Having searched his apartment, they found incriminating evidence and names of accomplices to the operation.

Eleven suspects were arrested, including Egyptian Jews and undercover Israelis. Elad and Colonel Dar managed to escape. Two suspects, Yosef Carmon and Israeli [[Meir Max Bineth]], died by suicide in prison.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zionist role in 1950s attacks on Iraqi Jews 'confirmed' by operative and police report |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-jews-attacks-zionist-role-confirmed-operative-police-report |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en |archive-date=3 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103024352/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-jews-attacks-zionist-role-confirmed-operative-police-report |url-status=live }}</ref>