Israel Matzav

Gaza becomes more dangerous - Kiryat Gat in range

It's hard to believe but Gaza has actually become a more dangerous place.

Hamas has sent dozens of terrorists to Iran for lengthy 'training courses' General Security Service chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday:

"These men who have been sent to Iran for training are not training for periods of a week, two weeks or a month, but for long-term, high-quality training," he said. "They are returning with knowledge of intelligence and weaponry that they did not have before."

Diskin said that for the time being only Hamas terrorists are being trained in Iran, but Islamic Jihad is also seeking to get in on the action. But that's not the dangerous part:

Both terrorist organizations were using tunnels from Sinai to smuggle weapons and people in and out of Gaza, said Diskin.

"We are seeing all of these groups interested in rebuilding. They all want to be more effective," he said. "They are using the current lull in violence to rebuild."

Diskin said that 31 tons of dynamite were smuggled into Gaza during 2006, up from 5 tons in 2005.

He also said that 50 terrorist attacks were currently being planned in the Gaza Strip, but ultimately meant to be launched from the West Bank. "The more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to stop these organizations," said Diskin.

He said the Shin Bet projected that if the smuggling was not stopped, terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip would develop sophisticated rockets with ranges of 13 to 20 km., bringing bringing Ashkelon within easy reach.

"The longer they continue to develop these weapons, the better they'll get. It is still possible for us to stop this but it will become more difficult in time," said Diskin.

Arutz Sheva says that Hamas can already make rockets with a range of more than 20 kilometers:

The city of Kiryat Gat, 56 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, is likely to come into the range of improved Palestinian Authority rockets being developed in, or smuggled into, Gaza. That was one of several warnings issued by General Security Services (Shabak) Director Yuval Diskin during a briefing he delivered on Tuesday before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

And it's not just in Gaza:

As for the Judea and Samaria areas, Diskin said that PA terror groups - especially the Fatah-controlled Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) - "are making great efforts to build rockets and to hit the Bat Hefer area. Thus far, thanks to our penetration in the field, we are able to prevent that, but nevertheless, there is a competition [among the PA groups] to be the first to fire a rocket."

Arutz Sheva also elaborates on Diskin's warning about the tunnels:

The GSS director also warned of an underground network being created in Gaza, "as a result of which the IDF will encounter significant difficulties if it wants to take action in Gaza. As more time passes, it will be harder and harder to take action, not just because of the underground network, but also because of the smuggling [from Egypt].... It is not a large area that will become a fortified base without a lot of military options there," Diskin explained.

Was that too much for the Post to handle? Oh yes, and about that tax money that Israel gave the 'Palestinians':

In closing, Diskin told the Knesset committee that the tax revenues released by Prime Minister Olmert to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas "were transferred to salaries for the security militias... and not used for humanitarian matters."

So the next time someone tells you about the poor, starving 'Palestinians', tell them where to get off.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:46 PM