The Green Army

by Amit Cohen
Ma'ariv (Saturday supplement),
March 16, 2007


The shooting begins as soon as darkness falls on Gaza. Long rounds of automatic fire followed by silence. One after the other. Every night, until the wee hours. Even on the rare days of truce between Hamas and Fatah, or throughout the ceasefire with Israel. The incessant shooting means that Hamas is training new recruits. When the big confrontation arrives, the Al-Aqsa brigades - a.k.a. "the Hamas military wing"- hope to confront the enemy with a well trained and ready army - as well trained and ready can be.

"We have the right to upgrade our capabilities, it a religious mission as well as a national duty", says Abu-Oubeida, Hamas military wing spokesman. "We have the right to send our instructors abroad to train and specialize, as well as to upgrade our weapons arsenal. We are not going to disclose any details on our operations and intentions here, because this is classified military information. This is where we draw the red line."
During the past year, Hamas confronted IDF forces within the framework of two campaigns - "Summer Rains" and "Autumn Clouds". Hamas and the other (terrorist) organizations did not manage to exact the bitter blood toll they had intended. IDF's technological superiority, but mainly military skills, proved overwhelming. That is why Hamas decided to revise its military tactics vis-a-vis the IDF and draw the necessary conclusions. Thus, Hamas military chiefs have decided to reorganize the divisions geographically. Also this year, Hamas has established its operational force - the police forces subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior, acting as an additional militia of the organization: 6,000 gunmen, assigned to regional headquarters.

Hamas draws inspiration from the Second Lebanon War and from Hezbollah's achievements. "We have learned our lesson from previous confrontations with the IDF, but also from what we have seen in Lebanon", admits Abu-Oubeida, "yet there is a great difference between South Lebanon and Gaza. Combat itself is different because of the topography, camouflage techniques, combat zone size, etc. Gaza is a tiny strip of flatland. The enemy has the upper hand because of its superior technology when everything is out in the open for all to see. Moreover, Lebanon is a sovereign state, whereas we are under siege. We hope to equal Lebanon's achievements one day."
(I like that. You realize, of course, that if you want Gaza redesigned to look like Southern Lebanon or the Shiite strongholds in Beirut, IAF and IDF combined can oblige you in just one night, I figure).
Should a conflict break out, Hamas, unlike Hezbollah, plans to drag the IDF forces deep inside refugee camps and crowded urban areas, where they can stop them in their tracks. In previous confrontations, Hamas gunmen tried to approach IDF troops and engage them in close combat. However, they didn't quite succeed in inflicting serious damage from close range, so they switched to sniper and mortar fire combined with roadside bombs and anti-tank missiles.

"If war breaks out in Gaza, it will not be dictated by topography, as was the case in Lebanon", predict Israeli military sources. "It will be dictated by the demographics of one of the most densely populated areas on earth." Hamas is getting ready to operate from within crowded refugee camps, using narrow alleys combined with tunnels and bunkers. They know full well that Israel will avoid sending in troops that might inflict civilian casualties and losses. Therefore even videotaped images and stills will serve as useful ammunition for Hamas. (Palliwood and Hezbollywood, right?)
In anticipation of a possible conflict, Hamas has prepared a "defense system" around cities, by digging bunkers and tunnels as close as possible to the populated neighborhoods. In order to allow gunmen free movement around the strip, a cob web of tunnels is connecting between different houses and buildings. Hamas leaders hope that their gunmen will be able to open fire at Israeli troops, retreat quickly inside the houses and relocate via the tunnels. This is their solution for dealing with the IAF attack helicopters and drones, and in so doing they hope to keep their own movement above ground to a minimum.

In addition, arms caches have been scattered in underground bunkers for protection against aerial attacks. Israeli security forces are by now aware that Hamas has dug a number of tunnels towards Israel, which could be either booby trapped or used to smuggle terrorists into Israel.

Remembering the Hamas Chief-of-Staff
The turning point for Hamas was Israel's implementation of the Gaza disengagement program. As soon as Hamas realized that Israel was going to pull out of Gaza, the leaders decided to grant official status to the Al-Aqsa brigades and transform them from an underground terror organization into a military corps. To this end, Hamas established the "Shaheed Saleh Shahade Military Academy", in memory of the Hamas Chief-of-Staff successfully targeted by Israel in 2002. The academy is headed by Abu-Ibrahim, a senior member of the military wing.
The carefully code-named training camps are scattered all over the Gaza strip, mostly on the ruins of evacuated Israeli settlements. Bissan 1 and Bissan 2, e.g., are located in the Gush Katiff area, not far from Khan-Younes. Other camps are occupying the remains of Netzarim and Rafiah-Yam. Hamas recruits are being trained in infantry and anti-tank warfare, rocket launching, as well as in gathering and analyzing intelligence. The graduates are issued I.D. cards, with personal numbers, ranks and recruitment dates.

According to Israeli estimates, the current Hamas instructors are tens, perhaps hundreds of foreign-trained activists (terrorists) that returned to Gaza to spread their knowledge. The recruits undergo intensive training for several months, perhaps longer. Palestinian sources concur. "We have knowledge of 500 Hamas activists currently operating in Gaza; they received military training in Syria and Iran", admits a senior Palestinian officer: "This training is actually being directed against us, because they drill raiding and securing all sorts of buildings. Do you really think they are going to overtake IDF compounds in the Negev? Their targets are the strongholds of the Palestinian National Security forces or other organizations. Hamas activists plant explosive devices and booby trap tunnels, but they don't always target the IDF. Some of their tunnels lead to our headquarters or buildings."

(Really? Then you have adopted the Israeli flag? Or are you just lying through your teeth?, Mr. senior Palestinian officer speaking on condition of anonymity, because I take it, you are not authorized to speak to the press? Or you didn't think we'd know our own flag?)

Besides their central role in improving Hamas military skills, the foreign-trained instructors are instrumental in upgrading the organization's weapons arsenal. "The spreading of this kind of knowledge is extremely dangerous, more dangerous than the huge amount of arms currently smuggled into Gaza, it is critical", says a high-ranking Israeli officer. The danger is amplified by the knowledge that Iran is behind the increasing strength of Hamas.
The upgrade is already visible. Up until three-four years ago Hamas used old solar water heaters to improvise large explosive devices, but now they have reached a different level. Take the "Shawaz" for instance - a projectile with highly-piercing properties based on Iranian know how. Four of these devices have been used against IDF troops during recent operations in Gaza. They are manufactured locally, according to precise measurements and specifications. Hamas is sparing no time and effort in developing and improving Qassam rockets and claim to be transforming them in their weapon of choice, in lieu of the suicide bombings. The Second
Lebanon War only helped to emphasize the importance of this kind of warfare. "The last rocket we launched had a 12 km range", boasts Abu-Oubeida, "but the Al-Aqsa manufacturers promised to improve that."

Not only the range is improved, but also the extent of damage they can cause. A regular Qassam warhead can carry five-seven kg of explosives. During the past few months Hamas "engineers" have focused on enlarging the Qassam payload to at least 20 kg. At the same time, the "life-span" of the rockets has been extended, due to the superior quality of the explosives being used. What it means is that Hamas will have the option of storing the long range rockets for longer periods of time, and practically intensify the barrages.

30 tons of explosives

In 2006 Hamas proved that its rocket launching abilities are better than those of all the other terrorist organizations combined. An average of some 50 rockets a month had been launched into Israel, until Hamas joined in - such as during IDF operations in the strip - and the number of launches increased significantly: during "Summer Rains" we counted 191 rockets, and during "Autumn Clouds" - 157.
During the past year Hamas has stepped-up its efforts to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Gaza, working both on quantity and quality. "We know that they seek to purchase sophisticated RPG's, much like the Hezbollah, and are also looking for Laus", says the Palestinian officer. "The Bedouins are smuggling missiles from the Red Sea into the Sinai, and from there it's a short way to Gaza, via the Rafiah tunnels." According to Israeli intelligence, about 30 tons of explosives have made their way into Gaza during the past year alone - a six fold increase compared to 2005.

Based on lessons learnt from the Second Lebanon War, Hamas is improving its anti-tank capabilities: they bought advanced rockets, such as Konkurs and 122 mm Grads, that have a 20 km range. Still, they do not even come close to the quantities amassed by the Hezbollah. Despite all these threatening figures, Abu-Oubeida is trying to keep things in perspective: "It would be wrong to assume that both sides are preparing for war. This would imply two armies, and that is a misconception. We do not have one army yet. We are in a state of alert, perhaps more so than in the past, but our means are limited. In the past we managed to delay the enemy, to slow them down, but we are aware of the fact that we cannot stop them altogether. We will not stand with our hands behind our backs though. Resistance is the choice of the Palestinian people".
To conclude, Abu-Oubeida warns Israel not to invade Gaza to free Gilead Shalit. "I am convinced that there is no connection between Gilead Shalit and other issues. We make no connection between the case of the captive serviceman and other matters, such as an Israeli invasion or the unity government. These are totally different matters".

(more pictures and confusion here and here)