(Jerusalem Post) Yaakov Katz - Israel is likely to face advanced Iranian weaponry, long-range rockets, large missile silos, and dozens of kilometers of underground tunnels connecting open fields with urban centers in the event of a future conflict with Hamas in Gaza, according to the latest Israeli assessments. Since the Gaza operation almost a year ago, Hamas has smuggled in dozens of long-range Iranian-made rockets that can reach Tel Aviv, as well as advanced anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles. Hamas is believed to have a significant number of Konkur anti-tank missiles, with a range of four km. and capable of penetrating heavy armor. In addition, Hamas is believed to have several hundred rockets with a range of 40 km. and several dozen with a range of 60-80 km. Hamas is believed to have taken control of 80% of the mosques in Gaza, using them to store weapons and set up command-and-control centers. Hamas used mosques quite extensively in the past for storage and launching rockets. Hamas has recently increased its efforts to dig what the IDF calls "offensive tunnels" close to the border with Israel in order to infiltrate into Israel and kidnap soldiers.
2009-12-10 07:39:52Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive