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Israeli military intel: Tel Aviv within range of Hamas rockets by 2010

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Free Headline Alerts

TEL AVIV — Israel's military intelligence has projected that Hamas would be capable of producing missiles with a range of up to 50 kilometers.

The military has concluded that Iran wants the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip to achieve the capability of firing missiles and rockets at targets in Tel Aviv, about 50 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

"Every community within a 40-kilometer range may come within range of the Hamas rockets: Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, even Beersheva," Israeli military intelligence commander Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said.

On May 14, Palestinian gunners renewed Katyusha rocket fire into Israel. A Grad BM-21 rocket slammed into a shopping mall in Ashkelon and injured scores of people.

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."

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