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Police sapper holding piece of Qassam rocket that struck Sderot on Wednesday. (Limor Edrey)
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Defense officials concerned as Hamas upgrades Qassam arsenal
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Shin Bet, Qassam, Gaza Strip 

Hamas has recently upgraded its Qassam rocket capability in the Gaza Strip, raising grave concern in the Israeli defense establishment.

Senior defense officials say that Hamas is now able to store the rockets for a relatively long period, which would allow the organization to launch a large number of Qassams at one time.

Over the past year, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) have said that two developments could prompt a major Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip. One was an improvement in the range of the Qassam rockets, which would place Ashkelon within range. The other was an ability to store the rockets for a longer period of time. It seems that Hamas has already achieved the latter, and is close to achieving the other.
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Until recently, Hamas had difficulty in storing the rockets. The Qassam is a relatively primitive device, assembled on improvised production lines in the Strip. The explosive charge installed on the rockets is volatile and might explode if kept for more than a few weeks. This is one of the reasons behind Hamas' haste to launch most of its rockets as soon as it gets them.

When firing rockets is politically inconvenient, Hamas hands them over to smaller organizations such as the Islamic Jihad, various Fatah factions and the Popular Resistance Committees to launch them in its place.

In previous periods of escalation between Israel and Hamas, such as last year's Independence Day, Hamas fired almost 300 rockets in a few days before running out of supplies.

The defense establishment is now concerned that Hamas may accumulate several hundred or even thousands of rockets, building up a large arsenal. Under this scenario, Hamas would be able to fire hundreds of rockets a day at Sderot for several days, prompting Israel to take extreme measures.

The Second Lebanon War showed that the Air Force is incapable of overcoming short-range rockets launched from a small area, not to mention a densely built area like Gaza. In the absence of an aerial solution, the IDF may have to mount a ground operation that would lead to heavy casualties on both sides.

The improvement in rocket-storage capability followed the entrance into Gaza in recent months of Palestinian terror experts, mostly via the Rafah crossing from Egypt. These experts, members of Islamic organizations, trained with Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon and Iran.

Alongside the ability to store rockets for longer periods, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, with Iran's help, are expected to increase the Qassam rockets' 15-kilometer range, which would place Ashkelon and dozens of small communities in the northern and western Negev within rocket range.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai met Thursday with mayors and regional council heads from Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot and the communities bordering on the Gaza Strip. He advised them to prepare their communities for an escalation in the area, including increased rocket fire.

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  • Barak: We aren't eager to launch major IDF operation in Gaza Strip
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      1.   End the vile siege ,you rotters! 03:07  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      2.   Defense against Occupation + Summary Killings by the IDF 03:20  |  POP 07/12/07
      3.   I hope not 03:23  |  Mark Lincoln 07/12/07
      4.   I`m afraid Israel will have to wait until Hamas... 03:25  |  R 07/12/07
      5.   Occupation Breeds Civil Revolt... HIstory Teaches 03:31  |  POP 07/12/07
      6.   The people of gaza have the same right to defense as Israel 03:32  |  POP 07/12/07
      7.   So now it`s easier for Hamas to kill innocent people and children 03:32  |  Conroy 07/12/07
      8.   Note: Israel Murdered 30 Gazans this week. 03:33  |  POP 07/12/07
      9.   To UnluckyShmi: With sieges like this one, who needs open borders 03:33  |  Dan 07/12/07
      10.   Nobody will blame Israel when they eventually flatten Gaza 03:34  |  Murray of Montreal 07/12/07
      11.   Tighten the siege 03:35  |  Free Gilad Shalit 07/12/07
      12.   #1--it`s IDF answer to asymmetrical warfare 03:43  |  Paul Freedman 07/12/07
      13.   #8 POP, Typical Arab misrepresentation 03:52  |  Conroy 07/12/07
      14.   Mark Lincoln #3 03:54  |  GPS 07/12/07
      15.   Crush these Snakes 03:57  |  George Kaplan 07/12/07
      16.   A COUPLE OF HUNDREDS KATYUSHA ARE NEEDED 04:01  |  indrajaya 07/12/07
      17.   Paul Freedmon`s FINAL SOLUTION 04:02  |  POP 07/12/07
      18.   #6, POP... 04:05  |  Silvienne 07/12/07
      19.   #8 POP 04:06  |  George Kaplan 07/12/07
      20.   #10, Murray advocating "flattening Gaza?" 04:07  |  Silvienne 07/12/07
      21.   POP 04:09  |  Abu Yusuf 07/12/07
      22.   12 Paul Freedman,not calibrated siege tactics,but a 04:11  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      23.   Nr 1 Locksmith, you always bark the same words 04:14  |  cristo 07/12/07
      24.   Pop the pooper, post your state!! Afraid? 04:16  |  cristo 07/12/07
      25.   MofM: Why did you just compare yourself to a terrorist? 04:20  |  POP 07/12/07
      26.   Answer to Mark Lincoln # 3 04:39  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 07/12/07
      27.   10Murray of Montreal,quite mistaken,the international community 04:39  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      28.   SUSPEND NOW EGYPTIAN AGREEMENT 04:44  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 07/12/07
      29.   18Silvienne to POP,have you heard the latest report? 04:44  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      30.   #20, My dear little Silvienne; 04:55  |  Murray of Montreal 07/12/07
      31.   #27 Lakshmi; The civilized world will applaud 05:06  |  Murray of Montreal 07/12/07
      32.   stop the rockets 05:10  |  adam 07/12/07
      33.   POP " Note: Israel Murdered 30 Gazans this week." 05:14  |  Clarence Darrow 07/12/07
      34.   # 29 Lasksmi, heard of the Land of the Fools ? 05:20  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 07/12/07
      35.   Barak Says The Offensive Is Coming -One Day 05:20  |  Yoram 07/12/07
      36.   Congratulation Hamas!! 05:31  |  Niva dos santos 07/12/07
      37.   #2 POP 05:33  |  geoff 07/12/07
      38.   #8 POP 05:36  |  geoff 07/12/07
      39.   To conroy! 05:37  |  Niva dos santos 07/12/07
      40.   #27 Lakshmi, The international community? 05:44  |  Clarence Darrow 07/12/07
      41.   I wholeheartedly agree with INDRAJAYA #16 06:01  |  Albert Einstein 07/12/07
      42.   #36 "Congratulations Hamas". For what? 06:06  |  Clarence Darrow 07/12/07
      43.   #3 Well, ever consider this Mark? 06:12  |  Johnboy 07/12/07
      44.   Israel should oblige Hamas 06:20  |  Ian Robertson 07/12/07
      45.   Thanks to IDF `thugs` 06:23  |  leo 07/12/07
      46.   # 44, IAN ROBERTSON 06:42  |  indrajaya 07/12/07
      47.   # 8 Jew-hater 06:48  |  David ben Avraham 07/12/07
      48.   mark lincoln are you blind 06:49  |  Danite 07/12/07
      49.   Wow! What suprise!!! 06:51  |  Danite 07/12/07
      50.   Israel, it is not possible to salvage the peace process 08:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/12/07
      51.   To POP: be careful what you wish for 08:03  |  Dan 07/12/07
      52.   #3, Mark: "we know they are not idiots" 08:04  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/12/07
      53.   POP SYLVIENNE."whining so much." that will be you 08:04  |  PETER S.M. 07/12/07
      54.   Regretful Development 08:04  |  Proud Israeli 07/12/07
      55.   N.Santos"Congratuations"Are you going there for the return fire? 08:19  |  PETER S.M. 07/12/07
      56.   Launching "hundreds" requires transport vehicles... 08:19  |  Dr. L. Brnd 07/12/07
      57.   What the Heck Is Israel Waiting For? 08:49  |  Dave Levy (Militant) 07/12/07
      58.   Answer to #7 Conroy 08:56  |  Proud Israeli 07/12/07
      59.   Constructive upgrading work 09:31  |  S 07/12/07
      60.   Hooray! Hamas is like Hezbollah!!! 09:36  |  Joe Sittizen 07/12/07
      61.   It is time. 10:16  |  Vital 07/12/07
      62.   Israel reaps what it has sowed. 10:20  |  Steve the Pals. 07/12/07
      63.   Better rockets? Yes please. 10:30  |  Oddvark 07/12/07
      64.   As they say on exam papers; "Discuss" 10:50  |  Clickfool 07/12/07
      65.   The World Encourages War Crimes against Jews 11:01  |  Joseph E . 07/12/07
      66.   A solution to stop these terrorists 11:16  |  Yered Shmuel 07/12/07
      67.   Hamas is terrorist but Qassam is as legal as 12:15  |  mehmet 07/12/07
      68.   To Joseph E # 60... Magnificent Post, Joseph :) 12:15  |  Klaudia 07/12/07
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      70.   to POP 13:20  |  MLK 07/12/07
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      72.   INDRAJAYA; ARE YOU A COMPLETE IDIOT 13:42  |  Ian Robertson 07/12/07
      73.   Action is Needed 14:01  |  Brod 07/12/07
      74.   31Murray of Montreal,the solution is quite simple,ask your 14:11  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      75.   Hamas just does not understand. Sucessful, or just intent 14:12  |  Virginia 07/12/07
      76.   ENDGAME 14:30  |  Brant 07/12/07
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      78.   POP et al 14:41  |  ChanahS 07/12/07
      79.   Haaretz renders great psychiatric service 14:42  |  Ruben 07/12/07
      80.   Johnboy 43 14:47  |  ChanahS