Qassam Rockets' Threat Magnified to Cover Onslaught

Israeli reports went even further by highlighting plans about new funds in the Hebrew state's budget to finance the manufacture of anti-missile weaponry, with no official denial or confirmation.

In statements to IslamOnline.net Wednesday October 6, military analysts and Arab experts in Israeli affairs considered such heightened focus of the Israeli media on the dangers of Al-Qassam missiles as a 'counter campaign' to create a state of confusion, diverting the attention away from the Arab and world media campaigns heavily covering the sweep by the Israeli occupation army.

The aim, according to military and media analysts, is to provide the international community with a context that two equal powers are fighting in Gaza. This way, different governments just issue calls demanding both parties to exercise self-restraint.

Media Campaign

Egyptian military expert Major general Zakarya Hussein regarded Al-Qassam as posing a very limited threat to the settlers. Yet, the Israeli media resorts to maximizing and exaggerating such dangers in the context of an «Israeli counter-Arab media campaign that focuses on the Israeli oppressive operations against Palestinians».

The Israeli press, according to Hussein, seeks to abort any Arab attempt to issue a UNSC resolution that calls for ceasing the Israeli military operations against Palestinians.

«The Israeli so-called democratic media is only a cover for the official politics, as it justifies the massacres perpetrated by the Israeli military in Gaza strip and gives the United States a pretext to use the veto against any Arab draft resolution that calls for stopping the Israeli operations against Palestinians», he said.

The latest US veto against an Arab-backed draft UN Security Council resolution, demanding Israel to immediately end its running Gaza onslaught, drew flack Tuesday for failing the Palestinian people once again.

According to the Egyptian expert, Israel aims to suppress and weaken the Palestinian resistance before the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza Strip, due to take place by the end of 2005, so that the withdrawal process may not be regarded as a victory for the Palestinian resistance.

Israel also seeks to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure to indulge citizens of the Gaza Strip in reform operations following the withdrawal of the Israeli troops, Hussein added.



Cover

In the same context, Dr. Emad Gad, an expert of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that «Israel exaggerates the dangers posed by Al-Qassam rockets to attract the attention of the world (particularly the US) public opinion to what it calls 'Palestinian terrorism'.

«Such statements are merely some sort of a cover for the Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, particularly those perpetrated in northern Gaza Strip», he added.

Hussein further elaborated that despite the fact that the Israeli focus on exaggerating the dangers of Al-Qassam followed the «horrors suffered by settlers due to such missiles, Al-Qassam missiles remain very limited in danger compared to the Israeli arsenal that Tel Aviv seeks to hide».

The views of the Egyptian military expert major general Talaat Muslim coincided with those of Hussein regarding the justification of the Israeli aggression against Palestinians. Meanwhile, he did not rule out the possibility of developing anti-Al-Qassam missiles by Israel.

He further reiterated that Al-Qassam is very primitive and «can easily be monitored by radars but can hardly be targeted; a matter that greatly worries Israel».

He also pointed out that the close range of the Palestinian and Israeli towns gives Al-Qassam a strategic advantage, particularly that its range does not exceed few kilometers.



Sderot Alarm System



Israeli Yedout Ahronot newspaper reported Wednesday that Sderot settlement would be provided next week with a new alarm system that grants settlers 20 seconds to resort to hideouts once Al-Qassam missiles are launched from the Gaza Strip.

The paper added that the inhabitants would be warned through loudspeakers immediately after radars monitor Al-Qassam missiles.

Loudspeakers are used instead of warning whistles to avoid terrifying settlers of this Israeli town inhabited with 20,000 settlers, according to the paper.

The Israeli military refused to affirm or deny such procedure when Agence France-Presse (AFP) posed an explanatory question about the alarm system.



Missile Development


Israeli Ma’ariv daily reported October 4, 2004, that Israel seeks to develop an anti-Qassam missile.

«The project will cost 10 million US Dollars», the paper said, adding that the decision has been taken due to the increasing pressures practiced by Sderot settlers who «experience horrors because of Al-Qassam's missiles», according to the paper.

The daily added that there is another reason that calls for prompt movement to develop anti-Qassam missiles, namely «the efforts exerted by Hamas to develop missiles with longer range than that of current Al-Qassam missiles».

Some activists of Al-Qassam's Brigades, military wing of Hamas, have declared in a press conference Wednesday that the movement «will develop Al-Qassam missiles and use them to attack the enemy».

It is worth noting that the Palestinian resistance in Gaza Strip has resorted to develop some means of resistance to face the regular occupations, raids and sweeps by the Israeli military against the Palestinian towns.

Northern Gaza has been exposed for the ninth day running to an Israeli military campaign that killed 85, wounded hundreds and destroyed tens of houses.

http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=3200