In an interview on Friday by the Israeli daily Haaretz, Yadlin said
Hamas would achieve such a capability by 2010. Yadlin said Hamas wanted to
reach similar capabilities as the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah, which has
acquired missiles with a range of at least 120 kilometers.
Military sources said Hamas has sought to acquire the Fajr-3 and Fajr-4,
with ranges of 43 and 70 kilometers, respectively. They said Hamas has
already acquired several Iranian projectiles, including the Nour rocket.
For his part, Yadlin said Hamas, which has formed a military of some
13,000 soldiers, has acquired or produced several rockets with a range of
more than 20 kilometers. He said Hamas intended to significantly increase
that capability.
"If this matter is not dealt with, Hamas will bring more cities within
its range of fire," Yadlin said.
The Israeli military, including military intelligence, has urged an
offensive that would topple the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. So far,
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have opposed the
plan.
"The Israeli army has never been this ready to launch a large-scale
operation in Gaza," Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
said. "It may be that we have no choice but to destroy all the nests of
terror. Apparently we'll have no choice."
