Opposition lawmakers urges defense minister to order a military operation in Gaza

July 24, 2007, 5:05 PM (GMT+02:00)

Likud MK Gideon Saar criticized the silent posture of defense minister Ehud Barak Sunday. In view of the constant missile attacks from Gaza on Israeli schools and accumulating Hamas stocks of war materiel, Saar urged swift and effective action against the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating out of Gaza.

Thursday, July 19, a senior Israeli officer warned that the window of opportunity for cutting down Hamas’ growing army is fast closing.

In an urgent briefing to reporters, the officer reported that Hamas has built up an army of 13,000 trained men. They have been freshly armed with anti-tank Sagger and anti-air missiles and a mountain of explosives. If the Israeli population bordering on the Gaza Strip has had to put up with daily salvoes of Qassam missiles, Hamas is preparing to upgrade its offensive with Katyusha rockets like the Lebanese Hizballah.

In the past month, Hamas imported 20 tons of explosives through the wide open Philadelphi border strip on the Egyptian Sinai border. In comparison, until the Israeli pullout from Gaza two years ago, Hamas was unable to smuggle in more than four tons per year!

Today, the quantities of arms entering the Gaza Strip for Hamas run into many tons. Neither is there any bar to hundreds of Hamas fighters leaving through the Philadelphi strip for training courses in Iran, Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli officer issued a grave warning. The IDF must take action quickly else it will be too late.

When Israel withdrew unilaterally from the Gaza Strip in 2005, DEBKAfile predicted the crisis which today faces Israel from the evacuated territory. That pullout was presided over by prime minister Ehud Olmert, foreign minister Tzipi Livni and other ministers who were then members of Ariel Sharon’s government.

According to an opinion poll conducted this week, 62% of Israelis conclude the pull-out was a fiasco.