(CNSNews.com) – Israel is concerned that five tons of unexploded ordnance from its recent offensive against Hamas, now missing from a warehouse in Gaza City, could be used against Israeli civilians.
The bombs and shells, which were awaiting disarmament by United Nations munitions experts, had been under “Hamas police” guard for at least the past fortnight but on Sunday were found to have disappeared, according to U.N. officials.
“We are anxious to get the return of this ordnance,” U.N. spokesman in Jerusalem Richard Miron told the BBC. “It’s clearly extremely dangerous and needs to be disposed of in a safe manner.”
While the U.N. has not accused Hamas directly an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said the weaponry had been “commandeered by Hamas.” Representatives of the Islamist group have not responded to the allegation.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev expressed concern that terrorists would use the non-detonated armaments – potential bomb-making material – in attacks against Israelis.
“It’s clear that Hamas has taken this ordnance and put it in its own armories for future use,” he said by phone from Jerusalem on Wednesday. “In doing so they have deliberately exploited the goodwill of the United Nations.”
The missing ordnance reportedly includes three one-ton bombs and eight quarter-ton bombs, collected by Hamas and U.N. officials after Israel’s 22-day operation against Hamas in December and January.
Regev said it was not surprising that Hamas would take the bombs.
“You’ll recall a week ago the U.N. complained that Hamas was stealing food relief for the Palestinians. So it should come as no surprise that they don’t have any compunction about stealing ordnance that the U.N. was supposed to be destroying,” he said. “We have very low expectations of Hamas.”
The U.N. earlier this month said it was suspending the import of humanitarian aid into Gaza after Hamas officials on two occasions seized food and blankets. Hamas returned the goods several days later, saying they had been taken “by mistake.” U.N. operations then resumed.
Asked whether Israel believed the U.N. would be able to track down the ordnance, Regev said only, “I wish them luck.”
As to what Israel could do to try to recover the armaments, he replied, “I think they’re in Hamas’ armories. Obviously we have in past combat situations attacked Hamas armories, but I don’t want to speculate what we might do in this situation.”
U.N. Mines Action personnel were negotiating with Israeli authorities about bringing special equipment into Gaza to use in the disposal process, and on identifying a suitable place to neutralize the ordnance.
A British organization, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), has also been working in Gaza alongside the U.N.
The British group said in an earlier statement it had together with the U.N. inspected “a number of large aircraft bombs, high explosive and smoke-generating incendiary (white phosphorous) projectiles gathered in an area in Gaza.”
MAG said the white phosphorous had been safely dealt with, to prevent the risk of detonation, adding that plans were underway to ensure the safe removal of the rest of the unexploded ordnance.
“The next phase of this operation will be the removal and systematic destruction of the items, in a mutually acceptable location away from the civilian community,” MAG technical director Mark Buswell wrote in a report last week.
U.N. spokesman Miron could not be reached for comment.
Hamas seized control of Gaza from Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction in 2007, several months after winning elections in the Strip.
Citing the firing of thousands of rockets into Israel communities from Gaza, Israel launched its military offensive in December, targeting Hamas and other terrorist facilities.
Israel and Hamas both declared unilateral ceasefires in mid-January, and negotiations on a durable truce, mediated by Egypt, are continuing. Palestinian authorities say 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the fighting; Israel reported the deaths of 13 Israelis.