Israeli sources: Arab Spring let Palestinians ramp up Gaza arms smuggling
In the past months, Hamas has acquired improved rockets, ready-made explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and possibly anti-aircraft missiles, say Israeli defense officials.
By Amos Harel Tags: Hamas Egypt Arab SpringThe revolutions in the Arab world, especially the Egyptian security forces' diminished control in the Sinai, have allowed the Palestinians to exponentially increase their weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip, senior defense officials say.
In the past few months, Hamas has acquired improved high-trajectory rockets, ready-made explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and possibly anti-aircraft missiles, the sources told Haaretz.
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A Hamas man stands with an exhibition of Qassam rockets in Gaza. |
| Photo by: Natasha Mozgovaya |
Anti-aircraft missiles could impinge on the unchallenged freedom of Israeli planes and helicopters over Gaza's skies. For years, the air force has been assuming that Gaza militants might have such missiles, but there has been no evidence that such weapons have been fired.
In recent years much of the weapons smuggling into Gaza has been coordinated by Iran, rising steeply after the Israeli withdrawal from the Strip in 2005. The Iranians have operated on two main routes. One has been by sea, from the Persian Gulf to Sudan and from there in convoys to Egypt and the Strip. The other has been by air, from Tehran to Damascus via Turkey, and then to the Syrian port of Latakia, to Alexandria and on to Gaza.
Israel has responded by taking over cargo ships on the open sea, and, according to foreign reports, by attacking weapons convoys in Sudan from the air. Such operations have forced Iran to reconsider its moves.
But the civil war in Libya opened new opportunities for weapons smugglers after the Libyan army lost control of vast weapons stores in the east of the country. Local arms dealers made contact with Gaza smugglers, and new weapons began to flow by a much shorter and easier route than the ones originating in Iran.
The situation has been exacerbated by the anarchy in the Sinai, former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter told Haaretz. "The Sinai went from being an area through which they smuggle weapons to an area through which they simply transfer weapons," he said. "No Egyptian security official dares to confront the Bedouin anymore."
Dichter said the construction of the steel fence on the Rafah border, which Egypt began in the last year of Hosni Mubarak's rule, had been stopped, and parts of it were already being dismantled by the Bedouin.
He said Iran and Hamas want to concentrate large stores of weapons in Gaza and, when the opportunity arises, to deliver them to the West Bank.
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الموت الاسرائيل، مرگ بر اسرائيل غاصب؛ dwon whit israel
We know that Israel will choose expansion over peace as long as it remains possible to do so .
ATTACKS ISRAEL, ISRAEL RESPONDS, LOTS OF MONEY FLOWS IN. BUSINESS AS USUAL
from the dregs of ignorance and Racism, protected by the label, "Israel Hater", he/she can demean, insult, perpetuate lies, revise History and incite Racial hatred with impunity: all with the blessing of an Israeli/ Jewish newspaper. Doesn't get any better, does it when there is no avenue for us Jews who are dissatisfied with current Israeli ideology but cannot speak out for fear of stirring the Jew hater who automatically responds with his/her hate filled , regurgitated propaganda that they have picked up from the many Racist web sites whose sole aim and purpose in life is to contribute to the end of the State of Israel.
because as they were not cultural conservatives they did not support Israel. Does condemning the gunman make me an anti semite?
because as they were not cultural conservatives they did not support Israel. Does condemning the gunman make me an anti semite?
What was the excuse before 1967, before "Occupation" when the Arabs went to war several times, instead of xhoosing peace. What occupation ?? A situation resulting from a Defensive War is not occupation, rather Arab foolish leaders losing their land
are where they are because of Hamas , not in spite of Hamas they elected this thugs who it turns out are nothing more than thugs with guns paid by Iran. Gazans will be real happy under Iranian sharia laws once it comes to pass. Watch them leave Gaza by the truck load when that happens... oh dear its already happening
a war crime a crime against humanity and genocide
This the main focus of the two organizations and neither group care about Arabs or forming a so called state.
They fall back on the Peace Process, i.e. When Israel retaliates to defend her citizens, the song from Ramallah is, "It is a threat to the peace process" or, some version thereof. The Arab tales of utter BS cease to amaze.
Hamas' ego and macho militancy feels even more empowered now and they're itching for yet another round with Israel as soon as Hamas fighters gather enough civilian cover to first instigate acts of war against the Jewish State and then to quickly run for cover behind ladies' skirts and children's diapers to prove their manhood. More tunnels will be dug in Gaza and the militants will again hide in them when Israel retaliates and there will again be Arabic signs posted outside the tunnel entrances saying, No Civilians Allowed!
Seems to me that any munitions whose control was lost by Libyan forces would be in control of the rebels, and that they'd be hanging on to any weapons in their control - especially the types mentioned here! And personally, I think MY 'conjecture' makes more sense than the hasbara being written here!
And yes, you're right about the chaos and breakdown of law and order, but considering the rebel's reliance on captured munitions, I doubt very much that there's any weapons depot abandoned by Libyan forces that wasn't immediately secured by the rebels. If there's any weapons making their way to Gaza from Libya, the amount is insignificant, and the types mentioned here are likely not among them.
Because you cry Hasbara?if you have evidence not slogans feel free to present them. The reality is there despite your claims to the contrary, law and order is not present so weapons can be stolen and there is money to be made.
Those are expensive and I would imagine they know which weapons are allowed in and which ones that are not. It would be suicidal to shoot down one of Israel's planes or helos, IMO.
Maybe it's because the unstable people with these weapons use them on Israeli civilian targets for no provocation. If you think Israel is the only country that defends herself, you are wrong, we are just not going to sit by and wait for the attack like I am sure you would like us to do.
Harel told us exactly the same thing in the months before Operation Cast Lead. And then along came Cast Lead and...... it was obvious that Harel had been smoking some heavy sh*t. Why should anyone believe you now, when you have Cried Wolf! so many times in the past?
These weapons were presumably captured by the rebels? How did they fall into the hands of arms dealers? And why on earth are the rebels demanding weapons from NATO? This is total speculation. Israeli defense has eyes and ears on the ground, as I was reminded in another talkback, and they proclaim to know everything about positions of weapons in Gaza. So why do they only strike after a rocket has been fired into Israel?
If Israel attacked every time they found weapons, it would be non stop bombing until nothing was left of Gaza; so I agree with you, attack every time. Kill whoever is hiding the rockets. I like the way you think
only if they dont fire rockets at israel
Wow. That was a big sentence. Sorry if I lost anyone.
Diskin peddled this BS before Cast Lead, too. Not a single aircraft or tank lost to the BS either during Cast Lead. Get some new or at least more inventive lies.
Don't believe that figure. Regardless, the reason that so few Israelis die from the LARGE number of regular rocket attacks is that the Israeli govt works tirelessly to DEFEND its population from harm. If only the Palestinian governing authorities made civilian defense such a priority, the kill counts might not be so scewed. Want an interesting statistic, take a look at killed-wounded ratio on both sides. You will see that Israel is precise and calculated in its attacks while the small population of the Palestinians that act as terrorists are simply looking to hurt as many Israelis as possible...
As was the Oslo accords, and every other so-called "peace process" move! To the Muslims, they are all HUDNAS. THey will NEVER accept the right of a Jewish state to exist forever, period! Israel must either be a Jewish SPARTA, or cease to exist. The only true "peace process" is Jabotinsky's IRON WALL. The Iron Wall is real; everything else is a left wing delusion! This is our fate as Jews, and we cannot escape our destiny. To live to fight, and to fight to live. Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition :)
Israel should announce targets in Gaza in advance for each attack on Israel and destroy the targets when Israel is attacked with any of these weapons. In each case Gaza will have pulled the trigger on the Israeli attack. They can p--s and moan as much they want but it will be clear that Gaza was the cause and has only itself to blame.
What humanity! I seem to recall that you didn't like it much when it was done to you, why advocate for so much violence, hatred and bloodshed? Still, you can't understand why the world hates you
Sure, but only if you don't count the occupation, the genocide, the Apartheid, the illegal blockade, the war crimes...
Do you mean Israel should destroy essential buildings and infrastructure? These are not two countries fighting each other. There is one country with billions of dollars worth of high tech armament vs a very diminished group. There is an element of sadism in people like you. It's like a little boy who gets bit by a fire ant and then stomps around crushing bugs to make himself feel powerful.
"Genocide"? Why don't you look around the world and put this conflict into perspective. There is nothing like a genocide occuring in the occupied territories right now. To make that claim is ignorant at best and hateful at worst...
You are a victim of Pal propaganda. It is not israel tha occupies Gaza, it is Hamas. According to UN the blocade is legal. You mean the aparheid from Hamas? War crimes by hamas?
Israel will have little choice but to carpet bomb Gaza in the next round. Much like Lebanon.
Oh, you mean just like they did in 2008-2009? Or were you living under a rock in the desert at that time?
Lebanon was never carpet bombed in the 2006 war. If there is another war either in Gaza or Lebanon there will have to be some very wide spread bombing just to mitigate the barrage of rockets that will come Israel's way.
five year tranquillity