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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, greeting Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Tehran on Tuesday. (AP) Last update - 03:40 08/03/2007 IDF: Iran providing direct military training to Palestinian militants By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press Iran is helping Hamas upgrade its military capabilities by providing technology, funding, and direct military training to Palestinian militants throughout the Middle East, Israel Defense Forces GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant said Wednesday. Galant said Hamas has taken advantage of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to build itself up. "Boosted by their newfound ability to travel abroad, Hamas militants have been going back and forth to hostile countries for training," he said. "They are sending activists to Syria, Lebanon, to Iran," Galant, speaking in English, said at public briefing. "And the opposite [happens]. People from Iran come inspect the situation in the area, give them the proper training and coaching, exam them and see if they hit the target they gave them." Advertisement Asked to elaborate, Galant would not say whether Iranian agents have visited Gaza. "The Iranians don't have to come by themselves in order to see what is the situation," he said. "If there is a Palestinian who is connected to the Hezbollah and working for Iran and is moving to the Iranian side, learning methods, getting orders, and moving them to the Palestinian side, that is for me good enough to explain the situation." Galant said the training and technology has enabled Hamas to grow from a ragtag militia into a well-organized group resembling an army - complete with battalions, companies, platoons and special forces for surveillance, snipers, and explosive experts. Israel has repeatedly accused Iran - as well as its allies Syria and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah - of supporting Palestinian militant groups. Hamas' Damascus-based political leader, Khaled Meshal, was in Tehran this week raising money for his group. Earlier this week, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, Yuval Diskin, said that dozens of Hamas operatives are going to Iran for training. Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for Hamas' Gaza militia, dismissed Galant's comments as Israeli propaganda. He said Iran has offered scholarships to train members of Palestinian security, including Hamas militiamen, but no one has attended the classes yet. Galant also called the Gaza strip cease-fire a tactical move for Hamas to strengthen itself. "While observing the truce, Israel has a military plan ready," he said. "We prefer to give a chance to the cease-fire at the present," he added. "But we have to prepare ourselves for a war situation in the future, he said. He did not elaborate. "Hamas has managed to arm itself by smuggling goods through tunnels across the border with Egypt," Galant said. He said Egypt would have to build a fence on its side of the border to halt the smugglers. "I think that sooner or later we will create some kind of an obstacle, physical obstacle on the border, something that wasn't necessary during the last years, but it is necessary now." Security officials believe a Palestinian suicide bomber who killed three people in the southern town of Eilat earlier this year traveled from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians: Israel's treatment of Rafah Crossing hurting Abbas In a four-way meeting among representatives from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the United States and Europe held Wednesday morning, Palestinian representatives said Israel's handling of the Rafah border crossing hurt the public image of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his supporters. The Palestinian team, headed by senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat, protested Israel's policy not to allow continuous traffic through the crossing. The Palestinians promised to take care of security concerns relating to the crossing, such as placing security cameras. The U.S. representatives to the meeting included Security Coordinator Keith Dayton, the deputy U.S. consul and a representative for the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The European team was headed by Italian Brigadier General Pietro Pistolese, the European Union's chief monitor at Rafah. Israel's representatives were Hagai Alon, the defense minister's political aide, and Colonel Nir Peres, who is in charge of civilian coordination and administration for the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip. Bookmark to del.icio.us   State policy Olmert approves plan for 750 new homes in West Bank settlement of Givat Ze'ev. Sticking to his story Director of 'Jenin, Jenin' swears there are no falsehoods in his movie.   1.   Abbas and Rafah Crossing 15:11  |  Dwido 07/03/07   2.   Deliberate 15:43  |  W 07/03/07   3.   All the crap excuses 16:09  |  Brod 07/03/07   4.   Rafah 16:13  |  Jim 07/03/07   5.   W 16:15  |  Jim 07/03/07   6.   Palestinians promissed 16:31  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 07/03/07   7.   #2 17:06  |  sumsum 07/03/07   8.   @5, jim, 900mln only, i thought about 10 bln. 17:07  |  vladimir 07/03/07   9.   ABBAS IS ABAD JOKE AND A TOTAL FAILURE 18:26  |  paul harris 07/03/07   10.   he is yesterdays wet noodle, hammas`s fig leaf. so irrelevant 19:06  |  ralph 07/03/07   11.   #2 W 19:22  |  * BEN JABO 07/03/07   12.   treatment @ Rafah crosing 19:32  |  pete silbering 07/03/07   13.   do not talk to me about hunger they choose guns, flags over food 19:59  |  ralph 07/03/07   14.   In one hand they ask Israel to lift sanctions and with the other 20:11  |  kipperraes 07/03/07   15.   Military training for Hamas. 20:16  |  David Nigel Braham 07/03/07   16.   Such activity is contrary to signed agreements between Israel and 20:28  |  Nadav 07/03/07   17.   # 2 What a load of crap 20:34  |  Lynn 07/03/07   18.   BEN JABO 20:35  |  Lynn 07/03/07   19.   USA providing direct military training to Israelis militants 21:35  |  jean 07/03/07   20.   #18, Lynn 21:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/03/07   21.   Lynn, your military analysis is impeccable 21:43  |  Richard S 07/03/07   22.   Iran providing direct military training 21:46  |  papa jay 07/03/07   23.   An Israeli attack on Iran is self-defense 22:14  |  sol 07/03/07   24.   #16 Oh my, God forbid those poor Pals learn 22:18  |  ballistic 07/03/07   25.   #2 Hey W; you got it, yessiree, you did!! 22:19  |  ballistic 07/03/07   26.   What a palestinian nation means to Hamas 22:45  |  Chck Corea 07/03/07   27.   #25 AND BALLISTIC THEY MAKE IT SO EASY DONT THEY !! 22:57  |  paul harris 07/03/07   28.   Weapons from Russia to Iran, than from Iran to Gaza. 23:08  |  sol 07/03/07   29.   Weapons from Russia to Iran, than from Iran to Gaza. 23:09  |  sol 07/03/07   30.   They know Israeli tricks jus because Israel is using same tacktic 23:16  |  Balcan boy 07/03/07   31.   Animosity 23:16  |  From the Moon 07/03/07   32.   Act of War 23:22  |  Jared 07/03/07   33.   without balls!!! 23:23  |  Australit 07/03/07   34.   Translation: Palestinians are to remain IMPRISONED! 00:50  |  Joe 08/03/07   35.   Quasimodo predicted all this would happen 00:58  |  Bobby Bacala 08/03/07   36.   With out balls? # 32 01:01  |  papa jay 08/03/07   37.   #20 Cipora - I fully to agree 01:25  |  Nechama 08/03/07   38.   #34 Joe 01:29  |  Nechama 08/03/07   39.   #32 Jared; er, didn`t see you say anything about 01:53  |  ballistic 08/03/07   40.   Jared-you say Israel and its allies, who are Israels allies? 01:54  |  Josh 08/03/07   41.   #33 so the IAF/IDF have balls, eh!! 01:57  |  ballistic 08/03/07   42.   #27 Hey Paul, are there black women in Pal land? 02:00  |  ballistic 08/03/07   43.   #29 Followed by: AND US SUPPLYING MILITARY 02:01  |  ballistic 08/03/07   44.   iran providing pals. 03:11  |  ljf-canada 08/03/07   45.   This story, Iran providing training to Palestinian militants... 03:39  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07   46.   # 20 Cipora Julianna Kohn 03:39  |  Lynn 08/03/07   47.   # 28 sol 03:42  |  Lynn 08/03/07   48.   #*BEN JABO It is Israel who are afraid of negotians with Hamas. 04:23  |  Maureen Ann 08/03/07   49.   Gaza- So it is not a prison 05:14  |  Avrum 08/03/07   50.   #48 Maureen Ann - stop playing the part 06:43  |  * BEN JABO 08/03/07   51.   Wow ,What truce means... 07:02  |  Willy 08/03/07   52.   Forget about peace/truce talk for now.... 07:21  |  Infidel 08/03/07   53.   #47 Lynn 07:30  |  Infidel 08/03/07   54.   got any paper work to back it up? 08:44  |  VIPER 08/03/07   55.   #48 Maureen Ann, BEN JABO is right! 19:51  |  Klomp 08/03/07   56.   #54 Viper - Arabs have never & never will be happy 00:55  |  * BEN JABO 09/03/07   57.   #56, ben-jabo 04:09  |  VIPER 10/03/07   58.   #50, ben again 04:16  |  VIPER 10/03/07   59.   #57 VIPER - The land 05:54  |  * BEN JABO 10/03/07

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