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The site of the Katyusha rocket strike, near Netivot. (Sadot Hanegev Regional Council)
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Last update - 17:06 08/10/2007
IDF: Hamas now in full control of Gaza arms smuggling
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents

Hamas now has complete control over the smuggling routes from Egypt, having forced the clans that previously controlled these routes to take orders from it, say senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces.

The officers said there has been a sharp increase in the quantity of explosives, including various types of rockets, smuggled into the Gaza Strip from Egypt over the last few weeks.

They added that the arms smuggling has expanded markedly since Hamas seized control of the enclave this summer and ousted forces from the rival Fatah party that had previously been stationed along the Gaza-Egypt border.
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The Israel Air Force carried out an air strike on the northern Gaza Strip before dawn Monday, targeting what it said was a cell of militants responsible for a mortar shell attack against Israel.

Palestinian witnesses said that seven civilians had been wounded in the strike, two of them seriously, Israel Radio reported. The witnesses added that the apparent target of the strike had been missed, and the militants escaped without harm.

The Israel Defense Forces said early Monday that the IAF had identified hitting its target following the strike, Army Radio reported.

On Sunday, a Grad-type Katyusha rocket fired from Gaza landed near Netivot, a town out of reach of the shorter-range Qassam rockets. The rocket caused no casualties, and Israel is not expected to respond militarily. But the senior officers said the increasing range of the rocket fire from Gaza increases the chances that Israel will eventually launch a major military operation in the Gaza Strip.

The Grad Katyusha has a range of about 20 kilometers - almost double that of the Qassam.

Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told the cabinet on Sunday that Hamas opposes the U.S.-sponsored peace conference scheduled to take place in Annapolis next month, and will probably try to launch attacks in an effort to torpedo it.

An analysis of the rocket that landed near Netivot indicates that it was smuggled into Gaza rather than being manufactured locally. At least one shipment of Grad Katyushas is known to have been smuggled into Gaza last year, but the IDF says there could have been additional deliveries of which Israel was unaware.

Fatah sources told Haaretz on Sunday that terrorist organizations in Gaza recently received another shipment of about 70 Grad Katyushas. The IDF said it could not confirm this report.

The Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for Sunday's launch. In 2006, two Katyushas were fired at Israel from Gaza, both by Islamic Jihad.

In addition to the Katyusha, at least 10 mortar shells were fired at Israel from Gaza on Sunday. Eight of the shells landed in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, and one scored a direct hit on a house, causing major damage, though no casualties. The kibbutz has come under daily mortar fire in recent weeks.

The other two shells landed in open areas in the Negev.

While Hamas claimed credit for the mortar fire, Palestinian sources in Gaza said that the Islamic group was not involved in the Katyusha launch. But they said Hamas has made no effort to prevent such launches, and has given all the Gaza terrorist organizations a green light to fire at will on Israel.

Also Sunday, the body of Rami Ayyad, a prominent Palestinian Christian activist, was found in Gaza City. Ayyad, 30, had been kidnapped a day earlier. He was apparently shot by his captors.

The reasons for his killing are still unknown, but Ayyad, who worked for the Protestant Holy Bible Society, had been threatened by Islamic extremists in the past. About six months ago, his organization's Christian bookshop in Gaza City was bombed.

In addition to running the bookshop, Ayyad, a married father of two, was well known for offering financial assistance to distressed Gaza residents.

In the West Bank, the IDF arrested four wanted Palestinians in the Ramallah and Hebron regions yesterday. Soldiers came under fire in the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp in Nablus, and a grenade was thrown at IDF troops in Qabatiyeh, south of Jenin. Neither incident caused any casualties.
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  1.   Missiles from Gaza 04:21  |  Edifice 08/10/07
  2.   Plenty of suggestions... 05:20  |  Silvienne 08/10/07
  3.   You reesponded to your question. Edifice 05:52  |  Mexi 08/10/07
  4.   # 2 Silvienne, The right to bear arms... 06:47  |  Dutch 08/10/07
  5.   Gaza is one big `jail? so how can they smuggle a Katyusha? 07:15  |  Dan 08/10/07
  6.   Where`s Livni???? Silent as USUAL 07:26  |  Dr. Dave 08/10/07
  7.   They have money for guns, money for katyushas 07:46  |  Clear vision 08/10/07
  8.   Grad type 20km Katyushas 07:50  |  Nora 08/10/07
  9.   ABBAS is a loser and a lame one at that.. 07:51  |  Mike 08/10/07
  10.   Simple and obvious solution, but political will to do it? 08:02  |  Dr. L. Brnd 08/10/07
  11.   Cheery news for a Monday morning 08:23  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  12.   Two-headed Egyptians: the real enemy 08:37  |  Mark 08/10/07
  13.   Take note 08:57  |  Stephanie 08/10/07
  14.   #9 Dr. Brnd - Very intriguing suggestion 09:39  |  Yonatan 08/10/07
  15.   If most of the smuggling comes thru Egyptian Rafah 09:42  |  Yonatan 08/10/07
  16.   what is the point to peace agreements 09:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/10/07
  17.   Cheery news from the fool 09:54  |  Steve 08/10/07
  18.   good grief Charlie Brown 09:55  |  eliezer 08/10/07
  19.   Bottom line: Islamists of Gaza outsmart best brains of Israel 10:10  |  Absolute Sweden 08/10/07
  20.   Clickfool 10:13  |  Israeli 08/10/07
  21.   #10 the yellow streak and more hate mail 10:45  |  victor hardman 08/10/07
  22.   There are days 10:49  |  Yonatan 08/10/07
  23.   Olmert is battling the enemies! 10:55  |  Yonatan 08/10/07
  24.   I am so surprised!! 10:56  |  Jewish State 08/10/07
  25.   SIVIENNE ISRAEL HAS AGIANT TRENCHING MACHINE LYING IDLE 11:02  |  paul harris 08/10/07
  26.   will only get worse.... 11:07  |  ravi 08/10/07
  27.   16... cipora, yes whats the point...? 11:13  |  ravi 08/10/07
  28.   hamas arms 11:23  |  ari 08/10/07
  29.   #26 ravi - No chance! 11:26  |  Yonatan 08/10/07
  30.   #27, ravi, tell me something I do not know 11:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/10/07
  31.   Their Common Enemy 11:46  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  32.   To brain lacking ravi 11:49  |  Israeli 08/10/07
  33.   "Cheery news" Clickfool # 11 is FAKE Clickfool 11:51  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  34.   # 11 Clickfool, The law is on their side 11:57  |  Dutch 08/10/07
  35.   To Ravi 12:02  |  Rolandus 08/10/07
  36.   To Ravi #26 12:04  |  Rolandus 08/10/07
  37.   HAMAS wants a confrontation with their child martyrs out front. 12:08  |  PETER SM 08/10/07
  38.   "HAMAS NOW IN FULL CONTROL OF......" 12:19  |  Robert 08/10/07
  39.   ravi&Cipora,both right,for different reasons,ravi,well summed up! 12:27  |  lakshmi 08/10/07
  40.   Cacked Fool 13:11  |  Star of David 08/10/07
  41.   Hamas is in full control 13:36  |  Esther 08/10/07
  42.   The Rice written Rafah deal was a bad one....... 13:53  |  r 08/10/07
  43.   #10 Don`t the words "Brnd" and "simple" just go together? 13:59  |  Johnboy 08/10/07
  44.   Non-combatants in tanks 13:59  |  Murray 08/10/07
  45.   "the writing style is quite childish actually" 14:26  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  46.   For Star of David, on message # 31 14:31  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  47.   Cipora #16 14:35  |  GABE1 08/10/07
  48.   Esther #41 14:38  |  GABE1 08/10/07
  49.   #11 Clickfool 14:39  |  Labhras 08/10/07
  50.   For Paul Harris # 25 14:42  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  51.   #37 Peter SM 14:47  |  Labhras 08/10/07
  52.   "Clean Green" hamas terrorists are CORRUPT just like fatah 14:47  |  CK Tan 08/10/07
  53.   Israel does not hunger for peace because they have felt no pain 14:53  |  Natallie Durson 08/10/07
  54.   #39 lakshmi makes another ORIGINAL BRAVE prediction 14:53  |  CK Tan 08/10/07
  55.   349 the irish fake in new york has just got out of bed 14:57  |  victor hardman 08/10/07
  56.   Anti - Israel Hominid bloggers beat their chests on haaretz 15:08  |  harry 08/10/07
  57.   murray 15:08  |  Israeli 08/10/07
  58.   #50 Clickfool Re hardhead and harris 15:08  |  Labhras 08/10/07
  59.   So Gabe 15:10  |  South African 08/10/07
  60.   Cipora Julianna Kohn: The point of Signing Peace Agreements 15:11  |  Tzfonit 08/10/07
  61.   The good, the bad, and the stupid 15:11  |  Tosefta 08/10/07
  62.   Love the flip Tosefta 15:25  |  Jasmine Murphy 08/10/07
  63.   #11 A Sick Thought From A Sick Mind 15:56  |  Bill Foonman 08/10/07
  64.   29...yonatan... the jews survived because... 15:58  |  ravi 08/10/07
  65.   All that Jazz may be confusing to Yasmine #62 15:59  |  Tosefta 08/10/07
  66.   30.. cipora... i repeat... 16:01  |  ravi 08/10/07
  67.   35..rolonaldus 16:04  |  ravi 08/10/07
  68.   60...tzfonit 16:11  |  ravi 08/10/07
  69.   Cacked Fool 16:25  |  Star of David 08/10/07
  70.   Clickfool #31 Seeing Shadows In The Darkness 16:25  |  Sparky Lyle 08/10/07
  71.   # 27 ravi 16:25  |  Lynn 08/10/07
  72.   Natallie: are you nuts or what? 16:30  |  Star of David 08/10/07
  73.   Gabe 1 # 48 16:36  |  ChanahS 08/10/07
  74.   #49 Labarse - have no fear 16:39  |  ChanahS 08/10/07
  75.   For Star of David # 69 16:41  |  Clickfool 08/10/07
  76.   Johnboy # 43 16:43  |  ChanahS 08/10/07
  77.   # 31 CF 16:47  |  ChanahS 08/10/07
  78.   We need to see actions of TDF. 16:51  |  Vital 08/10/07
  79.   Ah Labrat, Labrat 16:55  |  Star of David 08/10/07
  80.   Hamas is in full control of Gaza`s sewage too. 16:56  |  Fortuna Benmayor