This story flew under the radar, what with the hubbub over the New Yorker cover and all, but it was big news. From Fox News:

On Tuesday, Mideast envoy Tony Blair called off what would have been the first visit of a top Western diplomat to Hamas-ruled Gaza, after Israel’s Shin Bet security service received “pinpointed and imminent” intelligence that there was going to be an assassination attempt on his life.

The Shin Bet security service said it had received “information that Palestinians were planning to attack Blair in Gaza, so the relevant services alerted him to the fact.“

They say the information about the attack was “detailed and credible.“ Militants planned to attack Blair’s convey with explosives while he was traveling in Gaza.

Blair’s visit Tuesday was to have included a tour of a Gaza waste-water project and meetings with traders and U.N. officials, but not with leaders of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that seized Gaza by force more than a year ago.

Still, Hamas had made security arrangements for Blair, setting up checkpoints in areas he was expected to tour, banning cars from using roads, and lining streets with black-clad policemen carrying AK-47s ...

The Mideast envoy had not been expected to meet officials from Hamas, which is committed to Israel’s destruction and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S., EU and Israel.

So let me get this straight:

Blair was going to Gaza.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas.

Hamas is considered by the EU to be a terrorist group.

Hamas arranged Blair’s security.

(Gee, I can’t foresee any problem with a security arrangement that centers around black-clad policemen lining the streets with their AK-47s.)

And it was Israel’s security service that exposed to plot to kill Blair.

“He looks forward to being able to go to Gaza again in the future and will of course in the meantime continue to work to improve the conditions for the people there,“ (Blair spokesman Matthew) Doyle added.

Oh, yeah ... I bet he can’t wait!