HAMAS USING "CEASE-FIRE" TO STOCKPILE WEAPONS

Hamas Using Cease-Fire to Stockpile Weapons - Avi Issacharof and Amos Harel
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Tuesday that Israel is concerned about the continued strengthening and arming of Hamas. He said Hamas is taking advantage of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to continue stockpiling arms. "Every solution that protects the citizens of Israel is possible," he said. "We prefer a diplomatic solution, but where that doesn't work out, we will also conduct military operations." IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said one of the principal threats from Gaza that concerns the IDF is the digging of booby-trapped tunnels by Palestinians. (Ha'aretz)

Palestinian Rocket Fire from Gaza Continues
Palestinians in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket into Israel's western Negev Wednesday morning, causing damage. (Jerusalem Post)

After Mecca - Hamas Is Still Hamas - Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel (Ha'aretz)
The more time that passes since the signing of the Mecca agreement between Hamas and Fatah, the clearer it becomes that the real winner in the current round of internal Palestinian conflict is Hamas. It is clear the organization does not intend to make significant changes in its hard-line ideological stance. The Shin Bet security service and Military Intelligence agree that Fatah suffered the more painful blows in the latest round of violence in Gaza. Other than the Preventive Security forces, Fatah did not take too active a part in the fighting. Israeli intelligence officers on Monday described a "smuggling highway" from Egypt to Rafah and of Hamas plans to send hundreds of activists for training in terror camps in Lebanon and Iran.