Sunday, November 25, 2012

'Satellites show Iran moving quickly to rearm Hamas'

Nov. 25, 2012

JPost.com

'Sunday Times' cites Israeli official claiming Tehran shipping Fajr-5 rockets through Sudan to the Gaza Strip.

Photo: IRNA / Reuters

Israeli intelligence satellites have spied the loading of rockets and other materiel believed to be destined for the Gaza Strip, The Sunday Times reported citing Israeli officials.

According to the report, Iran began preparing the weapons shipment around the same time Israel and Hamas negotiated cease-fire understandings late last week.


The shipment is said to include Iranian-made Fajr-5 medium-range rockets, the same model that was fired into the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas during Operation Pillar of Defense, the Times reported.

Last month, following an air attack on a weapons plant near Khartoum, the Defense Ministry's director of policy and political-military affairs
accused Sudan of acting as a transit point for weapons shipments to Gaza.

Amos Gilad accused Khartoum of aiding and abetting terrorism, and said the Sudanese regime was “supported by Iran” and was used as a route to transfer weapons to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, via Egypt.

Sudan accused Israel of attacking the military plant.

The Times report also cited Israeli officials speculating that Iran could be moving longer-range ballistic missiles into Sudan, which could be aimed at Israel from the African country.

The official added that Tehran would act to re-arm Hamas and other Gaza groups quickly, as it sees them as a necessary part of its response to a possible Israeli attack against Iran.
Joanna Paraszczuk contributed to this report.

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