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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Hamas relying on underground supply lines, cut-rate fuel from Egypt

TEL AVIV — Israeli military sources said the Hamas regime has accumulated weapons, missiles and supplies to counter any Israeli attempt to lay siege to the Gaza Strip.

"We can cut off supplies to Hamas for weeks and it wouldn't mean anything to them," a military source said. "They have worked out supplies from Egypt in just about every area."

Since Nov. 5, Hamas and its Palestinian allies have fired more than 60 Kassam-class missiles into Israel. In response, Israel has closed border crossings to the Gaza Strip, which has affected fuel shipments, Middle East Newsline reported.

Although Hamas has reported a fuel shortage that was hampering its power facility, the military has determined that Hamas, despite increasing tension with the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, was receiving most of its fuel requirements from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

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The sources said that in July 2008, Hamas constructed at least two pipes from Sinai for the transfer of diesel oil and natural gas to the Gaza Strip.

As a result, the sources said, the Hamas regime receives 150,000 liters of diesel fuel per day from Egypt. The sources said the fuel cost less than half the price of that sold by Israel. The Israeli fuel — 120,000 liters per daily — has been supplied to the Gaza Strip by Israel's Dor Energy.

"Hamas has told Dor it would buy a much smaller quantity," the source said.

"I can confirm one thing: if there is only one kilowatt in all of Gaza it will be in one only place, a workshop that manufactures rockets," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said. "They are using us. They know us. They know our sensitivity to humanitarian issues and they are playing with it."

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said Hamas and Islamic Jihad have improved their missile capabilities. During a Cabinet meeting on Nov. 9, Dichter said Israel could not defend against Palestinian missile or mortar fire.

The sources said the Hamas preparations for conflict were accelerated amid the regime's takeover of the estimated 500 tunnels that spanned the divided city of Rafah. They said Hamas forced operators to pay commissions while taking direct control of more than 100 tunnels.

At that point, Hamas installed fuel pipes and other equipment for the smuggling of weapons. So far, the sources said, the Gaza gas pipe has not yet been operating adequately.

Over the next few months, Hamas would seek to smuggle cement and iron through the tunnels. The sources said the tunnel network provides about $50 million in goods per month.



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