JERUSALEM Ñ Israel's military expects that Hamas will succeed in
deploying the Kassam short-range missile in the West Bank.
Israeli officials said Hamas plans to use the current ceasefire to
complete Kassam production facilities in the West Bank. The officials said
the effort has been aided by Hizbullah and Iran.
"Within the next few months, we could see Kassam rockets also in Judea
and Samaria [West Bank]," Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman
Yuval Steinitz said. "This is a situation that Israel cannot afford, even in
exchange for temporary and relative quiet."
Steinitz said the Kassam missiles would have the range to strike
Jerusalem and other major Israeli cities. He said the missiles would also
threaten civilian and military aircraft that use Ben-Gurion Airport east of
Tel Aviv.
A senior Israeli military intelligence officer said Hamas has
accelerated efforts to develop Kassam facilities in the northern West Bank
city of Nablus. The officer said military intelligence has obtained evidence
that Hamas has already launched Kassam production in Nablus.
Nablus remains under Israeli control but the military has reduced
operations in the city amid the ceasefire announced on June 29.
Hamas has developed three models of the Kassam, the latest of which has
a range of at least 12 kilometers. Officials said Hamas plans to extend the
range of the Kassam to 20 kilometers.
The facilities being developed in Nablus appear suitable for the
production of the Kassam-3, officials said. The Kassam-3 has a range of 12
kilometers and contains a five-kilogram conventional warhead.
Israeli officials said one of the most active branches of Hamas is in
the West Bank city of Hebron. They said the Hebron branch sought to
assassinate Israeli leaders and stage a weapons of mass destruction attack
in cooperation with Hamas agents in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile in Ramallah, Fatah insurgents have resumed their high profile in the
center of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian sources said scores of insurgents, equipped with
semi-automatic weapons, have appeared in downtown Ramallah during
demonstrations. The sources said Fatah combatants could become a leading
factor in the power struggle within the PA and the ruling Fatah movement.
On Monday, Fatah insurgents gathered in Ramallah and began shooting
their weapons in the air. The masked insurgents were demanding the release
of 17 Fatah insurgents held in a government compound in Ramallah.
Palestinian sources said this was the first public appearance by Fatah
insurgents in Ramallah since Israel's military captured the West Bank city
in April 2002. Israeli forces have hardly been seen in Ramallah during the
last month.
The Fatah insurgents were protesting the detention of the 17 Fatah
members in the compound of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat in Ramallah. Last week,
Arafat demanded that they be transferred to a Jericho prison, but has since
backed off from his demand.
The Fatah insurgents distributed leaflets calling for the release of
their colleagues and then marched toward Arafat's compound. There were not
stopped by either Israeli or PA security forces.
The Fatah show of strength comes as Israel prepares to release more than
400 prisoners on Wednesday. Palestinian sources said most of the prisoners
were classified as administrative detainees and were scheduled for release.
