Israel Hit By 200 Missiles This Month
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World Tribune
Thursday, February 23, 2006

Tel Aviv--Israel has sustained a record number of Palestinian missile strikes.

Military sources said Israel has sustained more than 200 Palestinian missile strikes in February. They said this was a new record and more than double the number of Palestinian missiles fired into Israel in January.

On Thursday, Palestinian's fired five Kassam-class missiles from the gaza Strip into Israel, Middle East Newsline reported. There were no reports of injuries.

The sources said the lion's share of Palestinian missile strikes included the Kassam-2, with a range of nine kilometers.

They said that over the last few months Hamas has produced more accurate and stable Kassam weapons, which have struck the Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Ashkelon contains strategic infrastructure, including fuel depots, port and naval base.

Israel has responded to the Kassam strikes by firing artillery toward suspected Palestinian missile launch sites.

Since Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, the military fired 1,600 artillery shells at a cost of 6.4 million shekels, or about $1.2 million.

"The artillery strikes have not stopped or even reduced missile attacks," a source said.
"That is clear."

The Israel Air Force has also fired air-to-ground rockets toward Palestinian targets and gunners. Each rocket costs more than $100,000.

Officials said Hamas has transferred expertise on Kassam development and assembly to the West Bank. They said at first Hamas relayed the expertise via the internet, but Palestinian engineers in the West Bank failed to assemble the missiles.

As a result, Hamas has sought to infiltrate expertise from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.

On Wednesday, a Kassam was found by Israeli troops in the village of Kabatya in the northern West Bank. officials said the missile did not contain a warhead.

officials said kassam components have been found in Nablus and Ramallah. Mortar shells have been captured in Bethlehem.

"This year will be characterized by instability," Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, chief of the military's Central Command, said.

"There is an acceleration factor of terrorism until the Israeli election of March 28."