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Massive influx of weapons into Gaza puts Israel on war footing

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, November 16, 2006

TEL AVIV — Israel's chief security official said that the country must prepare for a military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Security Service Chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that the Palestinians have smuggled an enormous amount of weapons into the Gaza Strip since last year's disengagement and that Israel should prepare for a major military offensive.

"The situation in the Gaza Strip is like a series of red, red, red lights," Diskin said.

Diskin told the committee that over the past year, Palestinains have smuggled into Gaza at least 33 tons of TNT [14 tons of explosives in October] 20,000 rifles, 3,000 guns, six million bullets, 38 Russian-made Grad missiles with a firing rage of 22 km, 12 anti-aircraft missiles, 95 anti-missile projectiles, 410 anti-missile grenades, 20 advanced anti-missile missiles and $70 million in cash.

Dinitz said the weapons and cash are smuggled through tunnels and checkpoints.

"When we pass concrete information to the Egyptians, they deal with it [the smuggling]," Diskin said. "But they don't initiate any operations. They don't deal with any of the smuggler barons although they know their identities."

On Tuesday, Egyptian authorities detained Palestinian Authority parliament member Mushir Al Masri at the Rafah checkpoint after they found $2 million in cash in his belongings. He was later released but the cash was confiscated. Israeli sources said Al Masri had raised the funds in Saudi Arabia.

In an earlier briefing, Knesset member Yuval Steinitz, [Likud] warned of the rapidly escalating military build-up in the Gaza Strip.

Steinitz said that Israel must prevent Gaza turning into another south Lebanon and launch "Operation Defensive Shield II" to recapture the Philadelphi route which separates the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

On Wednesday, Palestinian gunners fired eight Kassam rockets into the western Negev, killing one person in the town of Sderot. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage.

"There is no choice," Col. Motti Yogev [res.] said. "We must knock out the Kassams."


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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