Hamas supplies suggest strategy for long-term occupation in Israel

New Delhi : Just over a week after a surprise terrorist attack on Israel, documents and maps seized from some of the 1,500 terrorist who infiltrated Israeli territory reveal the extent of their meticulously planned operation, which the terrorist group’s top military minds had been preparing for years, as per reports.

In addition to attacking border kibbutzim, towns and cities like Sderot and Ofakim -- where countless civilians have been murdered -- Hamas also intended to invade Ashkelon via sea and even reach the relatively distant city of Kiryat Gat, some 20 miles into Israeli territory, bringing along more than 30 different vehicles, Ynet News reported.

The documents reveal that Hamas intended for their occupation and stay in Israeli communities to last about a month, as evident from the quantities of food the invading forces brought with them, including large bags of dry food such as rice and lentils, pita bread, dates, shelf-stable milk and more, the report said.

The defense establishment is investing immense efforts to determine if some of the terrorists have reached more distant areas as sleeper cells, intending to hide and launch pre-planned attacks, such as at the onset of a potential IDF ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave or toward the end of the conflict, the report added.

The massive quantities of weaponry found in Israeli territory also suggest Hamas' plans to combat within Israel for several weeks. The heroic response of forces, many of whom acted on their own initiative, prevented an even more catastrophic outcome.

To date, no fewer than 10,000 various weapons have been found in Israel and have been handled by the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit at the Emmanuel Camp in Julis, Ynet News reported.

The vast amount of weaponry can equip an entire military brigade and included thousands of full magazines; explosive charges of various sizes, some designed to attach to tanks and destroy armored vehicles; RPG missiles of various types originating from Russia and North Korea; thermobaric missiles – which the terrorists fired into living rooms, immediately setting them ablaze; 1,500 AK-47s; 2,000 standard grenades; dozens of Strela shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles; numerous night-vision devices and communication equipment; hundreds of Dragunov-type sniper rifles and machine guns; explosive devices modeled after those used by the IDF for breaching walls, fences and doors; trapping devices; hundreds of commando knives; drones equipped to drop explosive devices; thousands of hand grenades and large Egyptian-made mines converted into handheld explosive devices, the report said.

In addition, IDF forces were surprised to discover a large number of advanced first-aid kits packed with blood units and medical equipment. The terrorists managed to use only a small fraction of these weapons - designed to kill vast numbers of Israelis, Ynet News reported.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)