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Peace Process

Weapons pour into Gaza


By Ryan Jones
September 18, 2005

Israel's worst fears regarding the withdrawal from Gaza appeared to be coming true Sunday as Arab terrorists continued to import large quantities of arms into the volatile coastal strip.

In its morning broadcast, Israel Radio cited security officials as saying thousands of guns and anti-tank missiles had been brought into Gaza since the completion of the IDF's pullout last Monday. This was despite purported efforts by Egyptian and ?Palestinian? forces to seal the border.

Israel Radio Arab Affairs Correspondent Avi Yissakharov noted that drug and arms smugglers were blowing holes in the concrete and steel Gaza-Egypt border at will.

Officials were most concerned by unconfirmed reports that terror groups had managed to smuggle ?balance breaking? weapons such as anti-aircraft and medium range surface-to-surface missiles into Gaza.

According to the online news and information service Debkafile, sourcingunnamed military and intelligence sources, the weapons smuggled in include:

  • 3,000 automatic rifles, most of which are destined for Hamas, and which give the organization a total of 10,000 Kalashnikovs, enough for thousands of new recruits.

  • Hundreds of AT-23 Sagger anti-tank missiles.

  • SAM-14 Strela anti-aircraft missiles - quantity unknown.

  • Improved Kassam surface-to-surface missiles. Their range is 13km or 18km, depending on whether Israeli or Egyptian intelligence evaluations are accepted. The shorter-range can reach Ashkelon, the longer one can menace the southern suburbs of the port town of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi (where the Israeli President's private home is located), Ofakim, Netivot and prime minister Ariel Sharon's Sycamore Ranch.

  • Land mines of different types - quantity unknown.

  • More than 250 tons of explosives.

  • In addition, an estimated 500-700 armed and highly-trained men have infiltrated Gaza through Sinai to boost the ranks of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Sources in the IDF's Southern Command told Ynet they believe Hamas will also take advantage of the situation to widen its front against Israel by sending cells into Sinai and infiltrating through the long Egypt-Negev border.

Shortly after noon Sunday, PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas declared the border had finally been sealed and the chaos in southern Gaza ended. Israelis were skeptical, having heard a similar announcement days earlier.

Later in the day, a senior PA official told the Associated Press the Gaza-Egypt border crossing in the town of Rafiah would be reopened within 48 hours, despite Israel's protests.

US sources said Washington had remained purposely mum on the issue, not wanting to publicly criticize either Egypt or the PA, according to Middle East Newsline.

The Bush Administration determined Egypt and the PA need more time for troop deployment.

?It's not something that begins and ends on one day. This is a process,? said State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli last week.

IDF officials, however, told Ynet that ?if the Egyptians wanted to, they would completely seal off the border within an hour.?

Israel managed, with hostile forces on either side, to control that same border day in and day out for over 30 years.

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