TEL AVIV Ñ Spokesman for the Hamas movment said Kassam-2 rockets have been deployed in the West Bank and Israeli military sources said the Palestinian Authority and its allied forces are preparing to launch attacks. The sources said the attacks with the new short-range rocket would target Israeli cities around Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion International Airport.

One scenario, the sources said, is that Palestinian gunners fire the Kassam-2 from the West Bank city of Kalkilya. Kalkilya is located two kilometers from the Israeli city of Kfar Saba.

"The Palestinians have deployed the Kassam-2 in the West Bank and the rockets are ready for use," a senior military source said.

The sources said Israel has warned the PA that any Kassam-2 rocket attack would result in massive retaliation. On Sunday, Palestinian gunners fired three Kassam rockets at the Erez terminal on the northern strip of the Gaza Strip. One rocket damaged an Israeli military facility.

The Hamas movement said it has completed development of the Kassam-2 and is working on the Kassam-3. Hamas spokespeople said the Kassam-2 has a range of up to 10 kilometers and the Kassam-3 has a range of 20 kilometers.

Israeli military sources confirmed the Hamas assertion. They said so far Hamas has fired the Kassam-1 with a range of 4.5 kilometers and what the sources termed the Kassam 1.5, an interim rocket that falls short of the range of Kassam-2. The 90 mm Kassam 1.5 is said to have a range of 6-7 kilometers and a 1.5 kilogram warhead.

On Tuesday, Palestinian gunners from the West Bank city of Bethlehem directed automatic fire toward the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo.

An Israeli civilian was slightly injured and six apartments were struck and damaged.

Earlier, Israeli military units raided the Bethlehem village of Irtas and arrested three suspected members of the Islamic Jihad. Palestinian sources said four Palestinians were injured in the Israeli operation.

Print this Article

Email this article

Free Headline Alerts