Hundreds of assault rifles, handguns smuggled into Gaza from Egypt

[bemildred]

The thing I find interesting in this piece is that the "gun dealers" all seem to think in round numbers of dollars. E.g.: "Black market prices for weapons dropped sharply, with AK-47 assault rifles nearly cut in half to $1,300 and even steeper reductions for handguns."

RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Palestinian gunrunners smuggled hundreds of assault rifles and pistols from Egypt into Gaza, dealers and border officials said yesterday. The influx confirmed Israeli fears about giving up border control and could further destabilize the region.

Black market prices for weapons dropped sharply, with AK-47 assault rifles nearly cut in half to $1,300 and even steeper reductions for handguns.

News of the smuggling came as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas tried to impose order after the Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza this week. Militant groups scoffed at a new Palestinian Authority demand that they disband after parliamentary elections in January, saying they would not surrender arms.

Israel voiced concern about chaos along the Egypt-Gaza border in the three days since its pullout, sending messages to the United States, Egypt and the Palestinians. "We will not put up with this," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.

Baltimore Sun

[RethugAssKicker]

1. Hundreds of NUKES given to Israel by USA!

[idontwantaname]

2. The influx confirmed Israeli fears about giving up border control...

now what exactly was israel afraid of?...

hamas getting more weapons to battle the PA with???

this sort of activity is no suprise to either side.

[bemildred]

3. Anybody that did not expect this needs a brain transplant.

The one interesting bit (I thought) was that they claim to
be stopping the RPGs.

[Scurrilous]

4. IDF: No 'tie-breaker' arms were smuggled into Gaza

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/627551.html

<snip>

"Despite fears to the contrary, powerful "tie-breaker weaponry," such as long-range Katyusha rockets and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, was not smuggled into the Gaza Strip when the Egyptian border was left largely open in the days following the Israeli withdrawal, the head of the IDF Military Intelligence Research Division said Wednesday.

Last week security officials had voiced concerns that such "tie-breaker weaponry" had been passed over the border, possibly also including anti-tank missiles. The officials said that it was known for certain that hundreds of rifles and large quantities of ammunition had reached Gaza during that period.

Opponents of the disengagement had long warned that Katusha rockets smuggled into Gaza could be used to strike at Ashkelon and the suburbs of Tel Aviv, and that Strela anti-aircraft missiles could pose a threat to civilian airliners approaching and leaving Israel.

But Research Division commander Brigadier General Yossi Kupervasser told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Wednesday that there was "no basis" to the fears that the long-range "tie-breaker" arms had entered the Strip and had reached the hands of terrorist organizations."