[IMRA: It is not clear if it is sheer coincidence that The Intelligence and
Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)
decided to follow the lead of the Government of Israel and carefully avoid
discussing the critical role that Egypt plays in facilitating the smuggling
operations.]

Special Information Bulletin
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S) April 7, 2005
www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/4_05/lull_a.htm

In the wake of the lull in the fighting, terrorist organizations step up
efforts to smuggle arms and ammunition from Egypt into Israel and the Gaza
Strip. In the absence of effective counter-measures by the Palestinian
Authority, this phenomenon is expected to continue even more intensely.

Against the backdrop of the lull, the terrorist organizations have recently
stepped up their efforts to smuggle arms and ammunition from Egypt into the
Gaza Strip and Israeli territory. This stems from the organizations'
interest to take advantage of the lull to increase their operative
capabilities and accumulate power in anticipation of Israel 's
implementation of its disengagement plan.

Against this backdrop, there has recently been a visible increase in the
extent of smuggling arms and ammunition from Egypt into the Gaza Strip and
Israel . Some of the smuggling activity is carried out in the Rafah region,
using the tunnels passing underneath the Philadelphi Road (which served as
the lifeline of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip even before
the lull 1), and some of the activity is carried out through Sinai (to the
Gaza Strip and Israel ).

Since the beginning of 2005, there have been approximately 30 incidents of
smuggling from the Sinai region, some to the Gaza Strip and some to the
Negev . Since the beginning of the year, approximately 1000 rifles 2, dozens
of RPG launchers, about 150 handguns and tens of thousands of bullets have
been smuggled from Sinai to the Gaza Strip 3. It appears that during the
month of March, about 5 anti-aircraft shoulder missiles were smuggled into
the Gaza Strip using one of the tunnels. Figures in the Palestinian military
intelligence and members of Hamas took part in that activity.

The Palestinian Authority attempts to demonstrate action against the tunnel
activity in Rafah and has even uncovered approximately 20 tunnels during the
lull. However, the measures it takes against the smuggling activity and the
smugglers are not thorough and effective enough, and members of the military
security even assist the smugglers.

1 See in this context the Information Bulletin ( July 27, 2004 ) published
on our website, titled: The City of Rafah , on the border between the Gaza
Strip and Egypt : A hotbed of Palestinian terrorism and arms smuggling
through the illegal "tunnel industry" .

2 During the last month, Hamas smuggled approximately 600 rifles and
numerous ammunition crates into the Gaza Strip.
3 In the course of 2004, about 4500 rifles, over 1000 handguns, hundreds of
thousands of bullets, and over 25 RPG launchers were smuggled from Sinai.