Smuggled Gaza Katyusha Hits Israel

There has been a sharp increase in the quantity of explosives, including various types of rockets, smuggled into Gaza from Egypt over the last few weeks, say senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas now has complete control over the smuggling routes from Egypt, having forced the clans that previously controlled these routes to take orders from it.

They added that the arms smuggling has expanded markedly since Hamas seized control.

Fatah sources said Sunday that terrorist organizations in Gaza recently received a shipment of about 70 Grad Katyusha rockets.

The flow of people and commercial goods through border terminals has been cut sharply since Hamas took control of Gaza.

That has translated into huge profits for the Palestinian clans that dig the smuggling tunnels.

"There has been an increase in demand especially since June," said Abu Salman, a veteran tunnel builder. "Many other tunnels are being constructed."

He said each tunnel is built with several shafts so that if one opening is blocked by Israeli forces or by the Egyptians, smuggling can continue.

Now that Israeli forces have left Gaza, tunnel-diggers are able to break ground closer to the Egyptian frontier.

Palestinians fired a Katyusha rocket into Israel east of Gaza on Sunday that landed in Netivot, 6.8 miles east of Gaza. The Katyusha, a factory-manufactured missile with a longer range than the Kassam, better accuracy and a warhead of some 11 pounds, must be smuggled into Gaza rather than made there. The Israeli Army said four Katyushas were fired from Gaza before - one was fired at the city of Ashkelon a year ago. The Katyusha has a range of 7.4 to 12.4 miles, as opposed to the Kassam's range of 5 to 7.4 miles. The Katyusha was used extensively by Hizbullah in southern Lebanon against Israel in the August 2006 war.