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A photo of Qassam rocket launchers in different stages of assembly found by the IDF in a Gaza Strip field. (IDF Spokesperson)
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Last update - 19:16 26/09/2007
IDF: Qassam rockets discovered in West Bank were not operational
By Mijal Grinberg and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and The Associated Press

The two Qassam rockets found by Palestinian Authority security forces near Bethlehem on Wednesday were not operational, an Israel Defense Forces official said Wednesday.

Upon their discovery, the rockets were transferred to IDF inspectors who said that the rockets "looked more like a pile of pipes than rockets that are about to be launched."

An IDF official added that there is no evidence showing that the owners of the rockets had launching capabilities.

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PA forces who found the Qassam rockets said militants were intending to fire them on Jerusalem. It is unclear to whom the rockets belong, and the PA has launched an investigation.

Qassam rockets are regularly fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel, but the mostly rural nature of the western Negev region prevents massive casualties. Armed groups in the West Bank have never successfully carried out a rocket attack, which would be problematic for Israel, since the area is located near major population centers.

Ma'an, an independent Palestinian news agency, said that two rockets were found between the Aida refugee camp and the Beit Jala municipal building, in an area facing the Jewish neighborhood of Gilo in East Jerusalem. The words "God is great" were written on the rockets in Arabic.

Tawfiq Tarawi, head of PA intelligence, said the rockets were still in the early stage of production and had not yet been fitted with explosives.

"This is not the first time. Two months ago, we found similar rockets and we destroyed them," he said. "This is unacceptable. We will not allow anyone to use such missiles because he will be destroying the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian towns," he added, referring to an IDF military response a rocket attack would likely bring.

Tarawi would not say whether any arrests had been made. He also declined to say who built them, but said the weapons resembled the rockets developed by Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky said in response that that the "baseless discussions and slogans on dividing the capital of Israel and the Old City give motivation to extremists. The government of Israel must first guard the security and safety of the residents of Jerusalem."

The rockets are about one and a half meters in length and 20 millimeters in diameter.

In recent years, Palestinian militants have attempted to smuggle rockets into the West Bank. Roughly two years ago, the Islamic Jihad militant group fired five rockets in a failed attack from Jenin at the settlements of Ganim and Kadim, both of which were evacuated during the 2005 disengagement.

Several other attempts to develop Qassam rockets in the West Bank, with information from the Gaza Strip or Syria, have been thwarted, and rocket launchings have remained almost solely a Gaza phenomenon.

Meanwhile, nine rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, including two that hit the rocket-weary town of Sderot. The rockets caused no injury or damage, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Also Wednesday, three Army of Islam militants were killed and two other Palestinians slightly wounded in two separate Israel Air Force strikes on the Gaza Strip.
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  1.   The Correct Term 09:02  |  Clickfool 26/09/07
  2.   Punishment for Iman Ziban 09:44  |  Mark 26/09/07
  3.   The Correct Term 10:30  |  Clickfool 26/09/07
  4.   lynching 10:50  |  zouzou 26/09/07
  5.   Creating hate 11:14  |  Jan Elshout 26/09/07
  6.   to #1 - The Correct Term 11:42  |  David 26/09/07
  7.   Who died and gave Israel the right to shut off passage? 11:49  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  8.   Clikfool,bloody opressor of Muslims 11:51  |  Absolute Sweden 26/09/07
  9.   #7 the hysterical doris and the reasons why never told 12:02  |  victor hardman 26/09/07
  10.   Dutch @ 7 12:07  |  David 26/09/07
  11.   Dutch,there is no way to deal with a lawless state except through 12:14  |  lakshmi 26/09/07
  12.   re: Clickfool 12:17  |  Efox 26/09/07
  13.   re: Dutch 12:19  |  Efox 26/09/07
  14.   re: Mark 12:22  |  Efox 26/09/07
  15.   ABBAS IS A COLABORATOR 12:33  |  indrajaya 26/09/07
  16.   Rights # 7 12:33  |  Lynn 26/09/07
  17.   lakshmi, looks like the effect of the "treatment" 13:34  |  Maven 26/09/07
  18.   Correct or incorrect, what matters is that we have the SOB 13:56  |  Dentist 26/09/07
  19.   jan elshout 14:15  |  Nephtaly 26/09/07
  20.   Israel should hand over its rockets 14:24  |  Tim 26/09/07
  21.   Dutch, we should all have that right 14:30  |  Nati 26/09/07
  22.   Clickfool, Dutch, Lakshmi, Indrajaya 14:39  |  Honest Observation 26/09/07
  23.   Lakshmi 11 15:03  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  24.   Congratulation on a job well done by PA security 15:08  |  Rami 26/09/07
  25.   Jan--rstrictions 15:11  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  26.   Dutch 7` 15:16  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  27.   Plz move us away from Gilo!!! 15:32  |  Barokh 26/09/07
  28.   Do not ignorte. 15:51  |  Vital 26/09/07
  29.   Olmert, Ramon, Livni... 16:04  |  eddie 26/09/07
  30.   I agree with Rami 16:05  |  Polybios 26/09/07
  31.   Clickfool asks.-I answer."By what right does Israel arrest?" 16:05  |  Vittorio 26/09/07
  32.   Depressing Scenario regarding Mart Ts comment 16:10  |  Nati 26/09/07
  33.   #19 Rami, What will make Israelis safe ... 16:10  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  34.   Jerusalem-Gilo. Olmert must go... 16:21  |  Polybios 26/09/07
  35.   To Polybios 16:21  |  Rami 26/09/07
  36.   #12 Efox - but it will take a while to match Begin 16:22  |  Rick 26/09/07
  37.   #33doris i have already given you the answer in this column 16:22  |  victor hardman 26/09/07
  38.   to dutch # 33 16:24  |  Rami 26/09/07
  39.   Dutch--law 16:26  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  40.   Qassams to IDF by PA - a good thing 16:32  |  Rick 26/09/07
  41.   Tim--trust 16:33  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  42.   Barak: Large scale Gaza operation soon 16:51  |  Jonathan S 26/09/07
  43.   #1 Clickfool and Correct Terms 17:02  |  MR 26/09/07
  44.   Lakshmi, I agee with you .... 17:12  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  45.   #1 ClickJerk 17:24  |  * BEN JABO 26/09/07
  46.   #5 Jan Elshout - Netherlands 17:26  |  * BEN JABO 26/09/07
  47.   #11 lakshmi - you`re just as 17:31  |  * BEN JABO 26/09/07
  48.   "Rockets discovered in W. Bank not operational" 17:36  |  simple truth 26/09/07
  49.   Rick 17:40  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  50.   Blind 17:42  |  Paul 26/09/07
  51.   Amnesiaacs 17:44  |  Paul 26/09/07
  52.   Rick Deir Yasin 17:45  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  53.   not operational... 17:48  |  Shmuelshachor 26/09/07
  54.   Dutch ripping off land-agreed 17:49  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  55.   Muslim peace isn`t other peace 17:50  |  Paul 26/09/07
  56.   Truth-48 17:56  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  57.   Dutch (#7) How are you to tell Israel how to control it?s border? 17:57  |  Gil 26/09/07
  58.   Truth 48 part 2 18:03  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  59.   Rami #35 18:03  |  Polybios 26/09/07
  60.   #39 Mark T Re Dutch`s law 18:25  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  61.   #39 Mart T, addendum --the settlements 18:30  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  62.   Westbank/Judea 19:05  |  Paul 26/09/07
  63.   Who wants to give them Judea and Samaria? 19:07  |  KUTW 26/09/07
  64.   Great photo of Qassam launchers 19:19  |  Clickfool 26/09/07
  65.   Dutch 60` 19:43  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  66.   #21 Nati, Security Officials should deal with the risks 19:59  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  67.   #57 Gil - Haifa 20:16  |  * BEN JABO 26/09/07
  68.   Dutch perhaps you should ask yourself 20:17  |  Alon Fisher 26/09/07
  69.   #63 ClikJerk 20:18  |  * BEN JABO 26/09/07
  70.   Dutch is this true are you Doris Cadigan? 20:41  |  Gil 26/09/07
  71.   64 Clickfool: Great photo of Qassam launchers 21:14  |  KUTW 26/09/07
  72.   Dutch crossings 21:24  |  Mark T 26/09/07
  73.   Dutch settleents 21:29  |  Mark t 26/09/07
  74.   Gil 57 21:33  |  MArk T 26/09/07
  75.   #64 Clickfool, Re: Israel`s Non threat to national security 22:21  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  76.   #70 Gil, My response 22:30  |  Dutch 26/09/07
  77.   Phony Quassems 22:45  |  EGW 26/09/07
  78.   Interesting photo 22:49  |  Mark Lincoln 26/09/07
  79.   Not `rocket science` 22:53  |  Mark Lincoln 26/09/07
  80.   look what these thugs are getting away with? 23:06  |  jerry 26/09/07
  81.   israel border !! Efox