(Jerusalem Post) Matthew Gutman and Margot Dudkevitch - Terrorist organizations are taking advantage of the cease-fire to replenish their stocks and rearm, an IDF brigade commander in Gaza said Monday. Hamas is building more than 1,000 Kassam rockets, sparking fears that should hostilities resume, "the opening of the next phase in the conflict will be much more violent," he said. In accordance with the understandings reached with the PA, the IDF halted operations in the Rafah area to destroy tunnels under the Egyptian-Gaza border that serve as a conduit for smuggling weapons and bomb components. The IDF had almost brought to a halt the smuggling of weapons. However, the commander said, "We estimate that there are eight to 10 tunnels currently functioning." "It is unfortunate that all our achievements appear to have gone down the drain. The PA, which meant to deal with the situation, is doing nothing, and the situation is being taken advantage of by all the terrorist organizations who are receiving the weapons and arms," he said. The IDF says that it has recorded 85 attacks in the Gaza Strip alone since the declaration of the cease-fire 20 days ago.
2003-06-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive