GAZA CITY — The Hamas-led Palestinian Authority has smuggled a
propellant for surface-to-air missiles.
Palestinian sources said PA operatives have acquired a propellant
required for the SA-7 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. They said the
propellant
was smuggled from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.
The propellant was identified as cordite, a highly-explosive fuel for
anti-aircraft weapons. The sources said cordite was sent through one of an
estimated 200 tunnels that link Sinai to the Gaza Strip.
Shipments of cordite have been arriving in the Gaza Strip over the last
four months, the sources said. They said that in October, a shipment of
cordite exploded and two Palestinian smugglers were killed.
Israel has assessed that the PA has acquired about 50 SA-7 systems.
Palestinian forces have not yet used the anti-aircraft weapon.
