According to a BBC report, a large stockpile of unexploded weapons has vanished in Gaza.  Last known whereabouts: A storehouse under Hamas watch.

The story: Some of the weaponry used by Israel in last month’s Operation “Cast Lead” failed to explode as it should have.  This live ordnance is extremely dangerous, and special UN teams have been working to collect the shells and destroy them safely.  In the interim, as the materiel was being collected and the dispolsal coordinated with Israel, the shells were placed in a storehouse guarded by Hamas members.

So what happened to these weapons?  Likely Hamas commandeered them for their own purposes.  Meanwhile, the UN is demanding the materiel be returned in order to avoid a catastrophe.

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Last month, we pointed out that Hamas was working quite actively to quash dissent against its activities in the Gaza Strip.  At the time, we could only cite a few sources.  Now, however, Amnesty International has published a report on the subject that presents the matter in greater detail.  You can read the full media advisory here (be aware that it does describe scenes of violence).

An excerpt:

The targets of Hamas’ deadly campaign include former detainees accused of “collaborating” with the Israeli army who escaped from Gaza’s Central Prison when it was bombed by Israeli forces on 28 December 2008, as well as former members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and other activists of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party.

The campaign began shortly after the beginning of the three-week Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip on 27 December 2008 and continued after a ceasefire took effect on 18 January 2009.

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Reports from Cyprus now indicate there was good reason for stopping the Iranian ship Monchegorsk that had been detained in a Cypriot port.  According to a Reuters report, the boat carried illicit materials that could have been used for weapons production.

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JPost reports today on a new weapon developed by terrorists in Gaza: the medicine grenade (with photos).  Apparently,

The
medicine bottles were filled with explosives, holes were drilled in the caps, and fuses were installed. Once Hamas fighters lit the fuses, they had several seconds to throw the grenades at soldiers. The IDF also found small explosive devices that used medical syringes to hold their fuses.

It appears, therefore, that Hamas and other terrorist groups are intent on building their weapons cache from anything remotely useful.  (First we saw them use pipes and concrete, then the people of Gaza, now humanitarian aid.)

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UNRWA, the UN agency in charge of delivering aid to Gaza’s civilian population has temporarily suspended its program of distributing aid, after two incidents in which Hamas operatives intercepted incoming shipments.  In the latest incident, detailed by AFP, Hamas seized 10 truckloads of rice and flour, prompting the UN agency to halt aid delivery until the stolen goods were returned.  Hamas, of course, says this whole incident was a mistake, as they believed the aid was meant for them.

Whatever the case, this news is decidedly bad for the people who really do need the food–and who almost didn’t get it.

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Palestinians attacked an Israeli patrol this morning ina cross-border raid, killing one soldier and wounding two others.  As the body controlling Gaza, Hamas bears direct responsibility for violating the ceasefire and for the consequences of this action.

For further information and analysis, see the Christian Science Monitor.

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A report in today’s Corriere della Sera (in Italian) profiles some Gaza residents who say Hamas used some strong arm tactics to keep them in harm’s way.  For example, Hamas gunmen forced residents to stay at home while they fired at Israeli troops (rather than telling the civilians to run away).  You can read an English-language summary in Haaretz.

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The Jerusalem Report has an overview of investigative reporter Ronen Bergman’s book about the West’s intelligence war with Iran.  We bring you an excerpt from JPost:

“The Secret War with Iran” is an expanded and updated version of Bergman’s Hebrew language “Point of No Return,” which became an Israeli bestseller. It is written in a compelling, lucid style, packed full of facts and anecdotes that often leave the reader open-mouthed at both the incredible failures and the audacious successes. It is obvious that Bergman was given access to loads of classified documents….Indeed, one of the most repeated phrases in the book is “disclosed here for the first time.”

A good example of this is the revelation that Israel came close to assassinating al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden…. “This is the closest any intelligence service has ever come to the world’s public enemy No.1,” Bergman writes.

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Six people were injured earlier today in a rocket attack on Be’er Sheva, among them a 7-year-old child who is in serious condition in the hospital.

From Haaretz.com:

“Two rockets fired by Gaza militants on Thursday hit Be’er Sheva, wounding five people, including a 7-year-old boy who was seriously hurt. One of the rockets scored a direct hit on a car. “

Read the full article here.

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Though he may have taken his time, arch-terrorist Osama bin Laden has made it clear where his allegiances lie.  The New York Times website today features a report on a new audio tape by the al Qaeda leader urging his followers to battle Israel and to support Hamas.  Not surprising, but noted.

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