"Hamas wants to develop a capability where it could use its missiles and
rockets to stop an Israeli ground advance," the source said. "Firing one or
two rockets is insufficient. Instead, you have to fire 10 to 20 rockets
toward a specific area."
Israeli military sources said the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip was
developing launchers that could fire a range of rockets and missiles in
succession into Israel. They said the development included the assembly of
vehicles with the capacity to fire up to 20 missiles at a time.
"Some of the techniques were similar to those the Americans have seen in
Iraq," a military source said.
The sources said Hamas was testing vehicles that could contain up to 12
launch tubes each. They said the launch vehicles could form a cluster and
fire at least 20 122 mm Katyusha-class rockets within 30 seconds.
"The military assessment is that another war with Hamas is likely in
2010 as Iran rebuilds the [Hamas] army," the source said. "All of the
efforts by Hamas concentrate on how to stop or at least
slow down an Israeli invasion while striking strategic facilities."
Hamas has also acquired Russian-origin anti-tank and anti-aircraft
missiles. The sources cited the SA-7 and SA-14 air-to-air missiles as well
as the AT-3 and AT-5 anti-tank weapons.
The Israeli assessment also asserted that Hamas has developed a command
and control network that could maintain contact with field units,
particularly missile and rocket batteries. The assessment said many of the
batteries would be stored in a maze of tunnels throughout the Gaza Strip.
"We see the Gaza Strip as the greatest potential source of conflict in
the short term," the source said.