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Smuggled Weapons Still Reaching Hamas Despite Egyptian Moves

(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel and Nir Hasson - In the last two weeks, at least two deliveries of smuggled weapons reached Hamas in Gaza. Large shipments of RPGs have also reached Gaza in recent months, some with advanced capabilities for more precision, posing a threat to IDF armored vehicles. In addition, Palestinian mortars fired at Gush Katif in recent weeks were 100mm in diameter and had a more effective explosive payload. Egyptian forces last week uncovered two weapons-smuggling tunnels in Egyptian Rafah and blew them up. While Israeli defense sources concede there has been some improvement in Egyptian efforts to halt smuggling of weapons, there are concerns that Egypt is not truly interested in ending the smuggling. Apparently, the smuggling networks have contacts in Egyptian intelligence, which uses them to collect information about what happens on the Israeli side of the border. A large shipment of munitions that the army calls "tiebreakers" - katyushas and anti-aircraft weapons - is apparently still waiting in Sinai for Hamas to get it through. The Palestinian Preventive Security forces are involved in the smuggling, with a key person being Nabil Tamos, commander of a secret group of Mohammed Dahlan loyalists calling themselves the "Death Units," who specialize in intimidating Dahlan rivals.
2004-08-25 00:00:00
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