Iran is supplying Hamas with the latest long-range missiles and other advanced weapons systems, a recent Arabic language documentary produced by Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV network showed.
Tehran is arming the Gaza-based Islamic terrorist group with Fajr-5 long-range missile launching systems and Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, a senior Hamas operative told the news channel.
“The weapons came to us, by land and by sea, from hundreds and thousands of kilometers away,” said Abu Ibrahim, chief of the weapons production for Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades (translation courtesy MEMRI).”Various types of weapons have arrived to Gaza from Iran. Gaza’s resistance fighters were in dire need of these weapons, such as the Kornet and Fajr missiles, and many other types of modern weapons, which are still very much in use on the battlefield. Other countries, like Syria and Sudan, have also played a role in arming the resistance.”
The revelation comes as Iran-funded terrorist groups are allying to wage war against Israel. Earlier this month, heads of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah met in Beirut, Lebanon, and announced the formation of an “axis of resistance” to intensify their ongoing war of terror against Israel.
The Middle East news website Al Monitor reported Hamas’s growing arsenal (Read the English translation of the transcript on MEMRI website):
While Hamas had for years been keen on hiding how it was receiving its weapons and combat equipment from outside the Palestinian territories, it decided to unveil, for the first time ever, some of these security and military secrets. (…) The program “What is Hidden is Greater” broadcast by the Qatari Al Jazeera channel on Sept. 13 presented exclusive footage showing members of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, collecting Iranian Fajr missiles and Kornet Anti-Tank shells. (…)The program was presented by Palestinian journalist Tamer al-Mashal and hosted by Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, and a number of Hamas military leaders. (…)Meanwhile, an arms dealer in Gaza revealed to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that “the military factions in Gaza, headed by Hamas, possess distinct types of Iranian R-160 and Fajr-5 missiles with a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles). They also have drones and anti-tank missiles and shoulder-launched rockets produced by Russia. They also plan to acquire Chinese C-704 missiles, anti-ship missiles with a range of 35 kilometers (21 miles) and radar systems for guided missiles.”A Hamas official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “There seems to be a link between the timing of Hamas’ revelations on Sept. 13 and the signing of the peace agreements between Israel on the one hand [and] the UAE and Bahrain on the other in Washington on Sept. 15. Hamas may be responding to these agreements by showing off its military [strength] against Israel, as the timing also coincides with the 15th anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 — as if it was a message from Hamas that the withdrawal was a result of its military operations against the Israeli army and settlers.”
Iran’s funding and support for Islamic and other terrorist groups are well documented. The U.S. State Department describes the Mullah regime as the “world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.” Despite this fact, the Obama-Biden nuclear deal gave Iran access to frozen funds, valued to be around $100 billion, enabling the regime to pour more resources into founding and arming these terrorist groups.
By placing stiff sanctions on Tehran following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 deal, President Trump as restricted the regime’s ability to support terrorism.
“In the past, Tehran has spent as much as $700 million per year to support terrorist groups, including Hizballah and Hamas, though its ability to provide financial support in 2019 was constrained by crippling U.S. sanctions,” the State Department’s latest annual counter-terrorism report disclosed.
Many of the Iranian-made weaponry, being delivered in the hands of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other pro-Tehran terrorist groups, are based on Russian and Chinese designs. Iran’s Fajr-class of missile launch systems are based on Russian and North Korean designs, whereas R160 rockets are Chinese-designed. Both of these Iran-supplied weapons are part of Hamas’s arsenal.
China and Russia are keen to sell their top of the line weapons systems to Iran. The only thing standing in their way so far is the United Nations weapons embargo on Iran set to expire on October 15. The UN Security Council last month rejected a U.S.-backed resolution calling for the extension of the international arms embargo against Tehran before expires. China and Russia have long been calling the UN to ease Tehran from these sanctions. The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have now come out in their support.
Despite the position taken by the leading members of the UN Security Council, the Trump White House is determined to prevent Chinese and Russian weapons and technology from getting into the hands of Iran and its proxy terrorist groups. According to Reuters, “[t]he Trump administration vowed on [September 15] to impose the ‘full force’ of U.S. sanctions on any international arms manufacturers who deal with Iran once Washington sees a United Nations arms embargo on Tehran as reimposed.”
‘Examining Islamic Jihad Claim of Having Iranian Missiles’ (i24News, February 2019)
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