Commentary: Does Hamas have rocket stockpiles in Sinai?
The IDF bombs hundreds of targets in Gaza, but Hamas continues to fire rockets. This situation raises the question of whether Hamas is using Egyptian territory for storing emergency reserves
By , Israel Defense, 16/05/2021
https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/49898
The continuous barrages of rockets by Hamas into southern and central Israel, despite several days of continuous bombings of Gaza by the IDF, has sparked speculation regarding the organization's rocket storage network. On one hand, the IDF claims that it is striking rocket stockpiles in Gaza. On the other hand, Hamas continues to launch hundreds of rockets almost all day, every day, at areas ranging from southern to central Israel.
This dissonance raises questions regarding the rocket storage sites of Hamas. According to one theory, Hamas scattered its rocket stockpile in hundreds of hidden locations in Gaza, some underground and others in the homes of residents, in order to make it difficult for the IDF to strike the organization's stocks.
According to a second theory, it is possible that Hamas is using the territory of the Sinai Peninsula for logistical support of its rocket network. Israel relinquished the Philadelphi Route, which gave Hamas an underground connection to the territory of Sinai. In other words, in theory at least, Hamas can set up rocket storage facilities in the territory of Sinai, far from the IDF, and transport the rockets in times of emergency such as now.
The theory regarding Sinai raises another question as to whether Egypt is turning a blind eye to Hamas activity in Sinai. There were previous claims made online regarding Israeli-Egyptian cooperation in Sinai, but the amount of Hamas rockets and launchers does not leave doubt regarding use by Hamas of Egyptian territory for logistics.
If you look at a map of Gaza, you will see that it is bordered by Israel to the north and to the east, and by the sea to the west. So the southern border is the only one that can be used for transferring raw materials, rocket engines, rocket assembly kits or even entire rockets to Gaza. It should be said that despite the peace between Egypt and Israel, and despite Israel allowing Egypt to violate the peace agreements by placing military forces in Sinai, Hamas is still able to produce thousands of rockets and hundreds of launchers without interference.
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