22/01/2009 | Al ManarAlthough the Israeli air force bombed the Phildelphi corridor along the border thousands of times during the course of its aggression against the Gaza Strip, Israeli daily Haaretz quoted sources as saying that some tunnels running under the border between Egypt and the Strip have remained in use, and were in operation even during the fighting.
Contrary to Israeli official reports saying that Israeli army has achieved its war objectives in Gaza, Hamas was still able to smuggle arms, according to Haaretz report.
Israeli occupation government has announced that its goals in the 22-day offensive, to stop arms smuggling and enhance the “invincible army’s image” in the region after it was lost during the Second Lebanon War in 206, were achieved. However tunnels lined with wood reinforcement have been especially resistant to air force bombing raids.
According to residents of Rafah, the reinforced tunnels were even used during the Israeli military offensive to smuggle in a group of German doctors who wanted to provide medical care to Gaza residents. In addition to Palestinian smugglers, Bedouin from Sinai are also involved in the trade through the tunnels.
Since the implementation of the cease-fire, the Egyptians have opened their border with the Gaza Strip to shipments of medical personnel and supplies as well as a limited number of foreign journalists, but they then hindered the entry of additional representatives of the foreign press who have been waiting at the border.
The Israeli security establishment was not surprised by Wednesday's reports saying some smuggling tunnels under the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt have begun to operate again despite heavy bombing during the Israeli offensive.
Israeli security officials said Hamas had tried to resume the smuggling while “Operation Cast Lead” was still ongoing, adding that they estimate the bombed tunnels will soon be reconstructed.
"The tunnels along the Philadelphi route are Hamas' central smuggling pipeline, and it is clear they will not give them up," one official said. "However," he added, "as opposed to the past, now there are agreements according to which several elements will work to thwart their efforts. We all hope these agreements will be implemented."
The US, Egypt and Europe have pledged to work extensively toward blocking the smuggling.
"This is one of the most important issues vis-à-vis the strengthening of Hamas. There is no doubt that Hamas, whose arsenal has been significantly depleted, will try to replenish it with Iran's help not only for military purposes but also to boost morale by showing that the rebuilding process is progressing at a fast pace," an Israeli security official claimed. "We must continue to monitor the situation closely and act accordingly."
Israel threatens Gazans with another attack
Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:38:14 GMT | PressTV
Israel has threatened to launch a new strike against Gaza after having failed to diminish Hamas's power through three weeks of offensive.
"During the operation that we have carried out in the Gaza Strip we have destroyed 150 tunnels, including some which were targeted several times...If we are forced to, there will be more attacks," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday.
Israel fought a three-week long war against Hamas allegedly to destroy the movement's military power. It launched hundreds of attacks on several tunnels and homes in the southern Gaza Strip “to destroy the tunnels through which Hamas brings arms into the region”.
Palestinians, however, say the tunnels are used to import food to the besieged populated territory which has been under an 18-month Israeli blockade.
Earlier in the day AP Television News footage showed Palestinians filling a fuel truck with petrol that came through a cross-border tunnel from Egypt.
The footage also showed workers busy clearing blocked tunnels and bulldozers carrying out other repairs.
While Israel claims that 80 percent of the tunnels were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead,Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's internal security service (Shin Bet), said formerly that the "The operation did not deal an irreversible blow to the tunnel industry," and Hamas could still rearm itself.
Hamas had also vowed to resume arming, saying "the manufacturing of holy weapons is our goal."
The Israeli 22-day offensive which killed more than 1,300 people including 460 children across the Gaza Strip has finally failed to achieve the primary goals including "halting rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip".
Army: Gazans begin rebuilding Rafah tunnels
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:00:52 GMT | PressTV
People in Gaza have begun the reconstruction of cross border tunnels shortly after the conflict in the coastal area ended, Israeli officials say.
According to the officials, dozens of people in Rafah began digging new tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt or started the reconstruction of those tunnels which were damaged in the recent war.
The tunnels are used by Palestinians to transfer food and vital supplies to the populated area which has been under siege since Hamas took control of it in 2007.
Israel, however, says the tunnels are routes for smuggling arms into the coastal region. It has bombed tens of tunnels during its 22-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli security officials admitted that Hamas had tried to resume arms transfer while Operation Cast Lead was still ongoing. They estimated that the bombed tunnels would soon be reconstructed.
"The tunnels along the Philadelphi route are Hamas' central smuggling pipeline, and it is clear they will not give them up," one official was quoted by Ynet as saying. "However," he added, "as opposed to the past, now there are agreements according to which several elements will work to thwart their efforts. We all hope these agreements will be implemented."
The Israeli Army claimed that about 80 percent of the tunnels along the border were damaged by its aerial attacks.
Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead on December 27 and declared the prevention of Hamas's rearming as one of its main goals.
Army report fuels Israel's political infighting
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:46:48 GMT | PressTV
Contrary to Israeli official reports saying that Israeli army has achieved its war objectives in Gaza, Hamas was still able to smuggle arms, according to Haaretz report.
Israeli occupation government has announced that its goals in the 22-day offensive, to stop arms smuggling and enhance the “invincible army’s image” in the region after it was lost during the Second Lebanon War in 206, were achieved. However tunnels lined with wood reinforcement have been especially resistant to air force bombing raids.
According to residents of Rafah, the reinforced tunnels were even used during the Israeli military offensive to smuggle in a group of German doctors who wanted to provide medical care to Gaza residents. In addition to Palestinian smugglers, Bedouin from Sinai are also involved in the trade through the tunnels.
Since the implementation of the cease-fire, the Egyptians have opened their border with the Gaza Strip to shipments of medical personnel and supplies as well as a limited number of foreign journalists, but they then hindered the entry of additional representatives of the foreign press who have been waiting at the border.
The Israeli security establishment was not surprised by Wednesday's reports saying some smuggling tunnels under the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt have begun to operate again despite heavy bombing during the Israeli offensive.
Israeli security officials said Hamas had tried to resume the smuggling while “Operation Cast Lead” was still ongoing, adding that they estimate the bombed tunnels will soon be reconstructed.
"The tunnels along the Philadelphi route are Hamas' central smuggling pipeline, and it is clear they will not give them up," one official said. "However," he added, "as opposed to the past, now there are agreements according to which several elements will work to thwart their efforts. We all hope these agreements will be implemented."
The US, Egypt and Europe have pledged to work extensively toward blocking the smuggling.
"This is one of the most important issues vis-à-vis the strengthening of Hamas. There is no doubt that Hamas, whose arsenal has been significantly depleted, will try to replenish it with Iran's help not only for military purposes but also to boost morale by showing that the rebuilding process is progressing at a fast pace," an Israeli security official claimed. "We must continue to monitor the situation closely and act accordingly."
Israel threatens Gazans with another attack
Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:38:14 GMT | PressTV
 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak |
"During the operation that we have carried out in the Gaza Strip we have destroyed 150 tunnels, including some which were targeted several times...If we are forced to, there will be more attacks," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday.
Israel fought a three-week long war against Hamas allegedly to destroy the movement's military power. It launched hundreds of attacks on several tunnels and homes in the southern Gaza Strip “to destroy the tunnels through which Hamas brings arms into the region”.
Palestinians, however, say the tunnels are used to import food to the besieged populated territory which has been under an 18-month Israeli blockade.
Earlier in the day AP Television News footage showed Palestinians filling a fuel truck with petrol that came through a cross-border tunnel from Egypt.
The footage also showed workers busy clearing blocked tunnels and bulldozers carrying out other repairs.
While Israel claims that 80 percent of the tunnels were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead,Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's internal security service (Shin Bet), said formerly that the "The operation did not deal an irreversible blow to the tunnel industry," and Hamas could still rearm itself.
Hamas had also vowed to resume arming, saying "the manufacturing of holy weapons is our goal."
The Israeli 22-day offensive which killed more than 1,300 people including 460 children across the Gaza Strip has finally failed to achieve the primary goals including "halting rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip".
Army: Gazans begin rebuilding Rafah tunnels
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:00:52 GMT | PressTV
 Hundreds of tunnels have been destroyed during Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip. |
According to the officials, dozens of people in Rafah began digging new tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt or started the reconstruction of those tunnels which were damaged in the recent war.
The tunnels are used by Palestinians to transfer food and vital supplies to the populated area which has been under siege since Hamas took control of it in 2007.
Israel, however, says the tunnels are routes for smuggling arms into the coastal region. It has bombed tens of tunnels during its 22-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli security officials admitted that Hamas had tried to resume arms transfer while Operation Cast Lead was still ongoing. They estimated that the bombed tunnels would soon be reconstructed.
"The tunnels along the Philadelphi route are Hamas' central smuggling pipeline, and it is clear they will not give them up," one official was quoted by Ynet as saying. "However," he added, "as opposed to the past, now there are agreements according to which several elements will work to thwart their efforts. We all hope these agreements will be implemented."
The Israeli Army claimed that about 80 percent of the tunnels along the border were damaged by its aerial attacks.
Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead on December 27 and declared the prevention of Hamas's rearming as one of its main goals.
Army report fuels Israel's political infighting
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:46:48 GMT | PressTV
 |
The Likud Party has lashed out at the leaders of the ruling Kadima Party after army reports that Palestinians are rebuilding the Rafah tunnels.
In a statement, the right-wing Israeli party said on Wednesday that "The renewal of arms smuggling today teaches that there is no connection between [Kadima Leader Tzipi] Livni's travel to world capitals and preventing the smuggling of rockets and armaments in the Gaza Strip."
The statement was issued as Livni was meeting with 27 European foreign ministers in Brussels in a bid to work on arrangements for preventing the transfer of arms to Hamas.
Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead with preventing arms transfer to Hamas on the agenda. The Israeli Air Force bombed hundreds of tunnels along the Rafah border, claiming that 80 percent of them had been destroyed.
Israeli officials, however, admitted on Wednesday that Hamas had been using tunnels for arms import even during the operation.
Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead with preventing arms transfer to Hamas on the agenda. The Israeli Air Force bombed hundreds of tunnels along the Rafah border, claiming that 80 percent of them had been destroyed.
Israeli officials, however, admitted on Wednesday that Hamas had been using tunnels for arms import even during the operation.
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