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Last update - 07:41 29/12/2008
Why hasn't Hamas responded to Gaza strikes with greater force?
By Amos Harel
Tags: Israel, Gaza, Hamas 

Palestinians have fired more than 140 rockets and mortars into Israel proper over the course of the last two days, far less than forecast by the Israel Defense Forces. Yesterday, Palestinians launched upgraded Katyushas with a maximum range of 40 kilometers. The rockets landed in moshavim adjacent to Ashdod.

The two long-range Katyushas fired yesterday were made either in China or Iran. Their maximum range is just shy of 40 kilometers; those fired reached a maximum distance of 34.4 kilometers.

According to IDF assessments, Palestinian terrorist groups are capable of firing some 200 (some reports put the number at 300) rockets per day. At this stage, it remains unclear whether the low number of rockets stems from the potency of the blow dealt Hamas in the Israel Air Force aerial assault of two days ago, or that Hamas is tactically waiting for an opportune moment to deal a powerful strike to Israel proper. More than half of the Palestinian projectiles launched at Israel were mortars. As of 8 P.M. yesterday, more than 20 rockets and some 10 mortars were fired from Gaza. The long Katyushas, which have a diameter of 122 millimeters, underwent upgrades that doubled their range. Hezbollah fired similar Katyushas during the Second Lebanon War. They were subsequently given to Hamas by Iran and Syria. It is clear that the Katyushas fired yesterday were recently smuggled into the Gaza Strip via the tunnels in the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt claims they were transported by sea), and that they were not manufactured by the Palestinians in Gaza.
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Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told a cabinet meeting last week that Hamas obtained rockets that can travel 40 kilometers, enabling it to reach Ashdod and the outskirts of Be'er Sheva. The number of long-range Katyushas in Hamas' arsenal remains unknown; however, the sporadic rocket fire yesterday suggests that the organization does not possess a huge amount.

Palestinians launched the long-range Katyushas yesterday from the northern Gaza Strip, probably from the Beit Lahia-Beit Hanun region, which allows them to reach deep into Israeli territory.

On Saturday evening, Hamas had threatened to strike the Ashdod area. Defense officials do not discount the possibility that Hamas is armed with rockets with an even longer range, though there is no intelligence attesting to that.

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      3.   It`s Obvious That They Are Afraid 08:30  |  Baruch Gold 29/12/08
      4.   Outguessing Barak is stupid. Not to speak counter-productive. 08:52  |  S 29/12/08
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      6.   Do not underestimate Hamas! 09:59  |  Kris Lazar 29/12/08
      7.   has ANYONE considered israeli intelligence was wrong 10:05  |  eric 29/12/08
      8.   Why? because their few long-range Grads can`t be moved 10:55  |  Dr. L. Brnd 29/12/08
      9.   WHY? 11:16  |  The Teacher/Instruct 29/12/08
      10.   Learn from Lebanon 11:21  |  El_Justiciero 29/12/08
      11.   Hamas on the ropes 11:53  |  Star of David 29/12/08
      12.   Maybe they`re waiting 12:33  |  Colin Wright 29/12/08
      13.   IDF on Gaza border 12:46  |  Joe 29/12/08
      14.   Shooting fish in a barrel 12:54  |  Joe 29/12/08
      15.   Eric - Wrong or Tailored 13:14  |  Mark of Lewiston 29/12/08
      16.   answer to Clickfool; #5 The question mark is in our side 13:40  |  Israeli citizen 29/12/08
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      18.   Dr. Brand#8 - I think your point goes deeper 14:25  |  William 29/12/08
      19.   #9 Kris Lazar - or they could create it on Photoshop 14:27  |  William 29/12/08
      20.   #7 - Eric - Israeli intelligence seemed to have many targets 14:29  |  William 29/12/08
      21.   It would be doing NATO`s job. 15:55  |  John 29/12/08
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      26.   because in essence they are cowards 20:24  |  Richard 29/12/08
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      40.   Lynn, why you would be an easy kill at chess 03:33  |  Mark Lincoln 30/12/08
      41.   For god`s sake, what nonsense 06:02  |  Marilyn 30/12/08
      42.   # 20 to william re: intelligence 07:24  |  eric 30/12/08
      43.   Here`s Why- 09:21  |  Yitzhak 30/12/08
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