(Ha'aretz)Ze'ev Schiff - The battle taking place in the northern Gaza Strip is not only about the firing of Kassam rockets at Sderot. The results of the operation will certainly affect the efforts of Hamas to advance to the next stage and turn the West Bank into a base for launching of Kassams. If Hamas succeeds in establishing a rocket-launching system in the West Bank, the Kassam problem will be transformed from a purely military one to one of strategic magnitude. Cities like Kfar Sava, Rosh Ha'ayin, Hadera, and Beit She'an will be within range of the rockets, as will the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem. It would take no more than a "little drizzle" of Kassams toward Ben-Gurion Airport for most airlines to cease flying there. Five attempts at large-scale Kassam production have been foiled by the Shin Bet and the IDF. At a Hamas factory in Nablus, 60 rockets were in an advanced stage of production. Ten rockets had already been transferred to Jenin, where they were seized. Despite the large amount of force being employed by the IDF in Gaza, there is restraint in its use. Obviously, this will not be the case should Kassam rockets be launched from the West Bank.
2004-10-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive