What are Feeds?
Israel's Growing Threat
September 09, 2006
Armed with the thought that Israel is not invincible, terror groups in Gaza are joining forces with Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, and Egypt for a massive confrontation with Israel.
"We learned from Hezbollah's victory that Israel can be defeated" proclaimed Abu Ahmed, leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade headquartered in Gaza. He also said that Hezbollah was actively involved in training Brigade members. "We have warm relations with Hezbollah, which helps with some of the training programs. We don't have anything to be ashamed of in dealing with Hezbollah  we are receiving training and information from them."
According to Abu Ahmed the Sinai desert is an excellent training ground. He said that terror groups in Gaza easily exchange information and weapons into the Sinai and also hold meetings there with other terror groups. He said the Brigade is learning how to turn every usable piece of land in Gaza into a weapon against Israel.
The Sinai desert is part of the nation of Egypt. The northern border of Egypt connects with the southern border of Israel and the Gaza strip. When Israel withdrew from Gaza last year the Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt was left in the hands of the Palestinian Authority. This border crossing has become the lifeline of terrorist groups operating in the Gaza strip. A regular flow of weapons and personnel are streaming into southern Israel through Rafah.
Last month the director of Israel's intelligence services, Yuval Diskin, told the Knesset that since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza the Palestinians have brought in hundreds of tons of rockets; anti-tank missiles; rocket propelled grenades; explosives; rifles; ammunition and other equipment through the border between the Egyptian Sinai and southern Israel.
This week Abu Ahmed confirmed Diskin's statement by saying that Hezbollah had been a great help in importing long-range Katyusha rockets similar to the ones used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon to reach Haifa. Katyusha rockets have a greater range than the Qassam rockets currently being fired at Israel from Gaza.
Islamic Jihad fired a Katyusha rocket into Israel's southern Negev desert last month to prove that it did indeed possess such weapons. Katyusha rockets are capable of reaching densely populated areas of Israel from Gaza.
"We saw that with the capacity to bombard the Israeli population with hundreds of rockets every day we can change the strategic balance with Israel," said Abu Ahmed.
Hezbollah and now multiple terrorist groups in Gaza receive the majority of their weapons from Syria and Iran. The weapons are flown into Egypt from Iran and Syria and then smuggled across the border into Israel's Gaza Strip.
Yuval Diskin concluded his meeting with the Knesset by saying "If we don't move to counter this smuggling, it will continue and create a situation in Gaza similar to the one in southern Lebanon."
While the world's eyes were focused on southern Lebanon and Israel's struggle with Hezbollah in the north; Iran, Syria, and Egypt have been strengthening terror groups in the south. It is only a matter of time until these groups become sufficiently organized to launch a major assault on Israel.
"We learned from Hezbollah's victory that Israel can be defeated" proclaimed Abu Ahmed, leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade headquartered in Gaza. He also said that Hezbollah was actively involved in training Brigade members. "We have warm relations with Hezbollah, which helps with some of the training programs. We don't have anything to be ashamed of in dealing with Hezbollah  we are receiving training and information from them."
According to Abu Ahmed the Sinai desert is an excellent training ground. He said that terror groups in Gaza easily exchange information and weapons into the Sinai and also hold meetings there with other terror groups. He said the Brigade is learning how to turn every usable piece of land in Gaza into a weapon against Israel.
The Sinai desert is part of the nation of Egypt. The northern border of Egypt connects with the southern border of Israel and the Gaza strip. When Israel withdrew from Gaza last year the Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt was left in the hands of the Palestinian Authority. This border crossing has become the lifeline of terrorist groups operating in the Gaza strip. A regular flow of weapons and personnel are streaming into southern Israel through Rafah.
Last month the director of Israel's intelligence services, Yuval Diskin, told the Knesset that since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza the Palestinians have brought in hundreds of tons of rockets; anti-tank missiles; rocket propelled grenades; explosives; rifles; ammunition and other equipment through the border between the Egyptian Sinai and southern Israel.
This week Abu Ahmed confirmed Diskin's statement by saying that Hezbollah had been a great help in importing long-range Katyusha rockets similar to the ones used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon to reach Haifa. Katyusha rockets have a greater range than the Qassam rockets currently being fired at Israel from Gaza.
Islamic Jihad fired a Katyusha rocket into Israel's southern Negev desert last month to prove that it did indeed possess such weapons. Katyusha rockets are capable of reaching densely populated areas of Israel from Gaza.
"We saw that with the capacity to bombard the Israeli population with hundreds of rockets every day we can change the strategic balance with Israel," said Abu Ahmed.
Hezbollah and now multiple terrorist groups in Gaza receive the majority of their weapons from Syria and Iran. The weapons are flown into Egypt from Iran and Syria and then smuggled across the border into Israel's Gaza Strip.
Yuval Diskin concluded his meeting with the Knesset by saying "If we don't move to counter this smuggling, it will continue and create a situation in Gaza similar to the one in southern Lebanon."
While the world's eyes were focused on southern Lebanon and Israel's struggle with Hezbollah in the north; Iran, Syria, and Egypt have been strengthening terror groups in the south. It is only a matter of time until these groups become sufficiently organized to launch a major assault on Israel.
