Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., August 13, 2007 Av 29, 5767 | | Israel Time: 18:41 (EST+7)
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Hamas militants taking part in an armed exercise in the Gaza Strip last week. (Reuters)
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Security sources: Hamas is arming Islamic Jihad with Qassams
By Ze'ev Schiff and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents

Security sources on Thursday said Hamas is supporting Islamic Jihad's rocket attacks against Israel with behind-the-scenes activities that include arming the organization's militants with Qassam rockets.

They said Hamas is emerging as the lynchpin of Palestinian terrorist activities against Israel.

While Hamas is maintaining a front of abiding by the cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, it is providing Qassam rockets to Islamic Jihad militants who are targeting Israeli towns in the south, the security sources said.

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Meanwhile, for the first time on Thursday, Hamas extremists openly demonstrated against the leadership of the group.

A group of nearly 200 gunmen from the military wing of Hamas and the Executive Force demonstrated in the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip against the unity government and declared that they will only abide by orders from the former foreign and interior ministers, Mahmoud Al-Zahar and Said Sayam.

Another reason for the mutiny revolves around disputes over the identity of the Palestinian prisoners on a list provided to Israel recently, for a possible exchange for the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

Some of the demonstrators argued that the list of prisoners was prepared by those prisoners' relatives.

A meeting scheduled Wednesday between Nizar Riyan, a senior figure in the political leadership of Hamas, and members of the "rebels" ended with an exchange of gunfire near Riyan's home.

According to security sources, Hamas has adopted a strategy of duality, which will be maintained under all circumstances, including a situation of a general cease-fire. On the basis of this strategy, a Palestinian organization will continue violent activities against Israel notwithstanding a cease-fire.

This was a similar strategy used by Yasser Arafat, who committed the PLO in agreements to preserve cease-fires, but was always careful to retain his ties with extremist organizations that would continue their terrorist activities against Israel.

In the past, Israeli intelligence provided evidence exposing this strategy.

As such, so long as Hamas continues to cooperate with Islamic Jihad, sources say that the value and reliability of a cease-fire agreement is dubious.

The cooperation between Hamas and Islamic Jihad involves an agreement not only to turn a blind eye to the rocket attacks against Israel, but also to provide the militants with the hardware.

It is believed that Hamas had provided Islamic Jihad militants with Russian-made Grad rockets with a range of 16 kilometers, and which were used to target Ashkelon on June 18, 2006.
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  1.   Terrorists will be terrorists 04:20  |  GZLives 13/04/07
  2.   Why not???? 04:22  |  Ronnie Wolman 13/04/07
  3.   Shocking - That is to Haaretzshugganas 04:34  |  Tod Zuckerman 13/04/07
  4.   Anonymous security sources say... 05:16  |  Omran 13/04/07
  5.   Just goes to show 05:17  |  Nechama 13/04/07
  6.   Nothing new - But will the Leftist finally see this? 05:35  |  William 13/04/07
  7.   Ronnie#2 - Thank you for that link 05:48  |  William 13/04/07
  8.   The scent of twaddle 05:55  |  Mark Lincoln 13/04/07
  9.   This is what we have claimed all along: Islamic Jihad, which is 05:58  |  Nadav 13/04/07
  10.   Norwagians should know that their money will be used for QASSAMS. 06:19  |  Vittorio 13/04/07
  11.   THIS ARTICAL MAKES HAMAS LOOK LIKE IT`S NOT A TERRORIST GROUP 06:20  |  TOM 13/04/07
  12.   justice not peace! 06:21  |  black 13/04/07
  13.   Mark Lincoln 07:33  |  Danite 13/04/07
  14.   Nadav #9 07:34  |  Danite 13/04/07
  15.   #8 Mark Lincoln 07:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/07
  16.   Quick lets give them more land... 07:49  |  Leo 13/04/07
  17.   Black and White 07:49  |  George 13/04/07
  18.   Hamas spokesman`s call for genocide of Jews on TV 07:51  |  R.Alkalai 13/04/07
  19.   USA weapons to Israel kill babies 07:52  |  Niva dos Santos 13/04/07
  20.   Timely old news 08:08  |  Tosefta 13/04/07
  21.   A unity government is only the beginning 08:19  |  Jonathan 13/04/07
  22.   to Nechama 09:08  |  bo 13/04/07
  23.   Danite 09:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/07
  24.   Another delivery of hot and steaming buffalo droppings 09:21  |  Clickfool 13/04/07
  25.   Terrorists 09:39  |  Choni Davidowitz 13/04/07
  26.   Again, where is the TRUTH.....??? 09:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/07
  27.   MOSSAD HAS BECOME LESS AND LESS CREATIVE 10:00  |  indrajaya 13/04/07
  28.   How sincere is Hamas??? 10:03  |  Willy 13/04/07
  29.   Hamas = Fatah = Jihad = Hizbolla = etc = Amalek! 10:40  |  Uzi 13/04/07
  30.   Swiss Dino 10:48  |  Star of David 13/04/07
  31.   What a shocka!!!!! 11:10  |  Israeli Israeli 13/04/07
  32.   #26, Dino, the truth is in the pictures 11:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/07
  33.   the only good terrorists R dead terrorists 11:24  |  sam 13/04/07
  34.   an amusing tosefta story 11:43  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  35.   hamas and islamic jihad are integrated 11:45  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  36.   what a way of life 11:45  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 13/04/07
  37.   rumour mongering in tveira 11:48  |  gideonsway in tveira 13/04/07
  38.   INEVITABLE.. 11:51  |  ravi 13/04/07
  39.   tosefta "hamas is made up of men of goodwill" 11:51  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  40.   mark lincoln "hamas is a bit player" 11:54  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  41.   mark lincoln you know as much about the region as you know 11:57  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  42.   # 30 Star of David 12:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/07
  43.   # 32 Cipora Julianna Kohn 12:08  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/07
  44.   tosefta advertises his "progressive thinking" 12:12  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  45.   Swiss Dino 12:15  |  Star of David 13/04/07
  46.   mark lincoln professor emeritus in googleography 12:16  |  gideonsway 13/04/07
  47.   the vatican is angry with israel 12:20  |  papalbull 13/04/07
  48.   Does the truth matter 12:23  |  Simple Tom 13/04/07
  49.   #29 Uzi. 12:23  |  Hubal 13/04/07
  50.   My apoologies to all Israeli and Lest Timor citizens 12:28  |  Indrajaya 13/04/07
  51.   # 50, FAKE INDRAJAYA 12:36  |  indrajaya 13/04/07
  52.   Arming 12:44  |  Vital 13/04/07
  53.   I hope this news reaches Norway! 12:45  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  54.   1.3 billion Euros from the EU to finance the Jewish Holocaust II 12:50  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  55.   #51 Sad for you the "fake" is a humane good being 12:54  |  Johnny 13/04/07
  56.   alicia i am rather entertained you think norway 12:59  |  king olaf 13/04/07
  57.   # 55, JOHNNY 13:10  |  indrajaya 13/04/07
  58.   #51 What a shame! Indeed, it sounded too good to be true! 13:17  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  59.   # 45 Star of David 13:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/07
  60.   #50 Indrajaya: well done 13:18  |  Joyce Kadi Wulandari 13/04/07
  61.   Hello Dino! The Saudi-plan dropped dead before the ink dried! 13:24  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  62.   YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THIS! 13:24  |  Paulo 13/04/07
  63.   Dear King Olaf 13:27  |  Bernina 13/04/07
  64.   HELLO! Anybody! What about the "starvation" in Gaza? 13:30  |  Alicia 13/04/07
  65.   William,Israel is always fighting for its life 13:42  |  Ronnie Wolman 13/04/07
  66.   #51 We know it, it is to elevated for you to say sorry 13:46  |  Alain 13/04/07
  67.   # 2 Ronnie Wolman 13:52  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  68.   What is wrong, America is armin Israel with 13:56  |  Christian 13/04/07
  69.   # 8 Mark Lincoln 13:59  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  70.   Cipora and Mark Lincoln: Arming Means Nothing 14:00  |  Ronnie Wolman 13/04/07
  71.   Niva dos Santos from Sao Paulo - Brasil 14:03  |  Alberto Cohen 13/04/07
  72.   # 26 Swiss 14:03  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  73.   # 61 Alicia 14:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/07
  74.   # 51 Fake Indrajaya 14:10  |  Lynn 13/04/07
  75.   re # 51 to Real Fake Indrajaya 14:12  |  Shanana Gusmão 13/04/07
  76.   Swiss dino 14:13  |  Star of David 13/04/07
  77.   Sorry for the confusion Paulo 14:18  |  Star of David 13/04/07
  78.   #57 Indrayaja; nicely put! 14:23  |  a Dreamer 13/04/07
  79.   #24 14:25  |  Moshe 13/04/07
  80.   #8 - Mark Lincoln 14:39  |  MichaelF 13/04/07
  81.   To 54/Alicia 14:41  |  Lena