Hamas Builds Up War Machine in Gaza
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hamas Builds Up War Machine in Gaza*
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com)
Kassam missiles fired "uneventfully" at Ashkelon over the past few days
are actually reported to be test-firings of much more advanced rockets.
The IDF Southern Command Chief, speaking with foreign diplomats and
reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, painted a grim picture of the war
threats from Gaza, saying the IDF is making plans for a possible offensive.
Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant said that over 2,000 Kassam rockets have been
launched at Israel in the 18 months since Israel withdrew from Gaza -
and that Hamas has much more up its sleeve.
"Since the Disengagement, 2,053 Kassams have been launched at Israel,"
the IDF commander said. "296 explosive charges have been detonated, 143
attacks were carried out against tanks that were outside the security
fence - not inside Gaza - and there were 260 incidents of gunfire at IDF
forces outside the fence."
Referring to a ceasefire announced by Hamas in November but all but
non-existent since then, Galant said, "At present, we are giving the
ceasefire a chance, but at the same time, we are preparing for a
military offensive in Gaza." He then proceeded to make a strong case why
an Israeli offensive would be needed:
"The terror organizations are making a great effort to infiltrate into
Israel and carry out suicide attacks - currently without success. They
try to infiltrate through the fence, through the sea, and through the
Eygptian border. Hamas always has plans on standby for attacks, and can
carry them out on short notice...
"It's not just a few terrorists or a small terrorist group, but an
entire [army] network, with four brigades, each of which has divisions,
companies and battalions. It is supported by Iran, apparently, but also
by Syria and Hizbullah. The goal is to establish a military force in
Gaza, with delegations going for training in Iran and Iranians coming to
train the fighters in Gaza. They have the motivation - hatred for Israel
- while the knowledge and military experience comes from the outside."
Foreign sources report that the situation is even worse than that
described by Gen. Galant. Kassam missiles fired "uneventfully" at
Ashkelon over the past few days are actually reported to be test-firings
of advanced rockets. Kassams until now have had a range of approximately
12 kilometers, but the Ashkelon launchings show that they can now
consistently hit 19 kilometers away. This multiplies exponentially the
number of Israel citizens and locations in Kassam danger. In addition,
foreign sources such as Tehran, Damascus and Hizbullah supply arms and
weapons, as do Hamas and Islamic Jihad smugglers, thus strengthening and
building up the war machine against Israel.
Hamas-Fatah Tensions
Gen. Galant also related to the Hamas-Fatah tensions, saying it could
not be predicted which side might win in a future clash between them. He
said that Fatah has more fighters and weapons than Hamas, but that Hamas
is more dedicated and determined, and better organized as well. Though
unity talks continue between the two groups, deep disagreements between
them remain and could burst into a civil war at any time.
The southern Gaza crossing into Egypt at Rafah was the site of violent
riots this morning. PA policemen fired and wounded five Arabs, and one
man died of a heart attack. Ever since the abduction of IDF soldier
Gilad Shalit nine months ago, Israel has allowed the crossing to be open
only about 20% of the time. Its opening today brought some 5,000 Arabs
to the site to cross into and out of Egypt, and PA security forces
quickly lost control.