On Feb. 9 the Arabic daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that a truck carrying 60 Grad rockets and 240 mortar shells of different callabers, intended for Hezbollah's use, was intercepted in Beirut by the Lebanese Army.
Many of Hezbollah's missiles caches were destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after the group bomarded Israel's northern border with hundreds of Katyusha rockets. But because of Syria's aid in rearmament, Hezbollah has "returned to its pre-war capabilities and has even become stronger," said IDF Brigade-General Yossi Baidatz, head of the Military Intelligence Research Division, in a breifing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Feb. 20.
Hezbollah's growing weapons stockpile is also enabling it to smuggle rockets and anti-tank missiles to Gaza-based Sunni terror groups, including Hamas' military wing (Izzedeen al-Qassam Brigades) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
On Feb. 20 Israeli Police prevented a PIJ terrorist from conducting a large-scale terrorist attack in the Tel Aviv area. Palestinian Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for the Jan. 29 suicide bombing in Eilat, which left three Israelis dead and also orchestrated the April 17, 2006 suicide bombing that killed 11 in Tel Aviv.
PIJ's leader, Ramadan Abdullah Mohammad Shallah, is listed on the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's (F.B.I) website as one of the "Most Wanted Terrorists." A $5 million dollar reward has been offered for his capture under the Rewards for Justice Program.
PIJ's violent military wing, Sayeret Al-Quds Brigades , have been responsible for firing most of the Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel.
Iran also provides PIJ with an estimated $2 million in state-sponsored funding to PIJ annually.
Evidence of Hamas and Hezbollah Rearmament:
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the militant group responsible for launching many of the Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel, announced on Feb. 8 that they developed a new Qassam launcher - from which three rockets were previously launched - that can fire up to six Qassams at once. Typical Qassam launchers can only fire one rocket at a time.
- Under the control of the Hamas government, Palestinians are now capable of launching Qassam rockets into the coastal town of Ashkelon, which lies 13 km (8 mi.) from northern Gaza. Qassams usually can travel 3 -10 km (1.8 - 6 mi.).
- Palestinian militant groups are actively working to extend the range of Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. In July and August 2006, Qassam rockets firing distances were measured at 15 and 16.3 km (9.3 and 10.1).
- Hamas' green light for continued terror against Israel has resulted in the development by its military wing of a new double-engine Qassam rocket, and the acquisition of Grad-style Katyusha rockets that can reach targets within 18-30 km (11-19 mi.).
- On March 28, 2006, Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched a Grad-type Katyusha into Israel for the first time. Four Grad-type rockets in total have been fired into Israeli territory.
- The IDF now believes that the Izzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian military factions have Sagger anti-tank missiles in their possession. The Sagger AT-3 is an anti-tank missile that can pierce 400 mm of armor and hit a target up to 3 km (1.9 mi.).
- Following the U.N. brokered cease-fire on Aug. 11, 2006, Al-Sharq al-AwsatIran and Syria were already working to rearm Hezbollah, and stockpiles of weapons were awaiting transport for the group in Syria. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards were specifically responsible for supplying those arms to militants in southern Lebanon.
reported that
In addition, several Palestinian terrorist groups receive training, financial support and weapons from Iran and Syria. They also receive thousands of dollars in reward money for each attack on Israel, according to an Israeli Security Agency source.
"Sometimes they are paid before the attack and sometimes they submit a bill to Lebanon afterward and the money gets transferred a short while later," according to the source.
Security officials also said Hezbollah is directly involved in smuggling thousands of dollars into Gaza to pay for the attacks. Militants are paid based on the number of Israelis they kill or injure by Qassams they fire into Israel.
The Islamic Republic of Iran - the world's leading state sponsor of terror - is the main source of financial support for these terrorist attacks against Israel.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas refuse to relinquish their arms.
On Feb. 18 Hezbollah cabinet minister Mohammed Fneish, who resigned his post in the Lebanese government in Nov. 2005, told the daily Al Mustaqbal that "We [Hezbollah] hold on to our weapons since their employment is not over yet ."
Hezbollah was required to disarm in compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 in August 2006.
Weapons Found Recently by the IDF in Gaza:
In a briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Nov. 14, 2006 Israel Security Agency Director Yuval Diskin outlined that following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Palestinian terrorist groups have smuggled into the Gaza Strip:
- 33 tons of military-grade high explosives
- 20,000 assault rifles
- 3,000 pistols
- 6,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition
- 38 long-range Qassam missiles
- 12 shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft guided missiles
- 95 anti-tank rocket launchers
- 410 anti-tank rockets
- 20 precision-guided anti-tank missile
Iranian and Syrian-Supplied Weapons in Hezbollah's Arsenal:
- Israeli military sources report that the majority of Hezbollah's rocket arsenal is comprised of 122-millimeter Katyusha rockets with a range of about 19 kilometers.
- According to a report by The New York Times, the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets have ranges of 40 and 72 kilometers and sizes of 240-millimeters and 333-milimeters respectively.
- Israeli security officials suspect that Syria has also begun to provide Hezbollah 222-millimeter rockets with a range of 19-29 kilometers.
- According to an Iranian army official, Iran transferred to Hezbollah four types of long range missiles and rockets: Fajr missiles (100 km/62 miles), Iran 130 missiles (90-110 km/55.8-68.2 miles), Shahin missiles (150 km/93 miles) and 355 millimeter rockets (150 km/93 miles).
- Rockets and missles fired by Hezbollah into Israel last summer include :
- 122 mm. long rockets (4 with a delay fuse)
- 122 mm. rockets with enhanced range
- 220 mm. rockets (Syrian)
- 240 mm. rocket ("Katyusha")
- 240 mm. ballistic missile (Fajr-3)
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