 Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin |
Israel retracts from earlier remarks that it had stopped Gaza rearmament, saying that a huge amount of explosives is imported into the region.
Israel says huge amount of explosives have been imported into Gaza since the end of the recent war, withdrawing its earlier claims.
Yuval Diksin, Head of the Israeli security service (Shin Bet) said on Sunday that some 70 tons of explosives have been "smuggled" into the Gaza Strip since the army ended its Operation Cast Lead in January.
According to the Israeli official, 45 tons of raw materials for the production of weapons, 22 tons of standard explosives and dozens of rockets, mortar shells, and anti-aircraft missiles have been brought to Gaza since the end of the war.
He also admitted that the three-week military operation failed to weaken Palestinian factions saying that "Organizations other than Hamas are pursuing plans to kidnap [Israeli] soldiers and to carry out terror attacks from Sinai into Israel as well as in the West Bank," Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported.
With the aim of halting rocket-firings and disarming Palestinians fighters, Israel launched an all-out war against Gaza in December and killed more than 1,300 people mostly civilians. Tel Aviv claimed that it had succeeded in achieving its goals after it declared a ceasefire in June.
It was not the first time that an Israeli official admitted to the Operation Cast Lead's failure. Earlier the Israeli security service had announced that the arms transfer into the Gaza had begun even while the military operation against the territory was still underway.
Yuval Diksin, Head of the Israeli security service (Shin Bet) said on Sunday that some 70 tons of explosives have been "smuggled" into the Gaza Strip since the army ended its Operation Cast Lead in January.
According to the Israeli official, 45 tons of raw materials for the production of weapons, 22 tons of standard explosives and dozens of rockets, mortar shells, and anti-aircraft missiles have been brought to Gaza since the end of the war.
He also admitted that the three-week military operation failed to weaken Palestinian factions saying that "Organizations other than Hamas are pursuing plans to kidnap [Israeli] soldiers and to carry out terror attacks from Sinai into Israel as well as in the West Bank," Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported.
With the aim of halting rocket-firings and disarming Palestinians fighters, Israel launched an all-out war against Gaza in December and killed more than 1,300 people mostly civilians. Tel Aviv claimed that it had succeeded in achieving its goals after it declared a ceasefire in June.
It was not the first time that an Israeli official admitted to the Operation Cast Lead's failure. Earlier the Israeli security service had announced that the arms transfer into the Gaza had begun even while the military operation against the territory was still underway.
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