munaeem | 23 February, 2007 13:33
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:
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:
Iranian and Syrian-Supplied Weapons in Hezbollah's Arsenal:
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