Report: Iranian Missile Experts Helping Hamas and Islamic Jihad

A report indicates that “members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps are currently in the Gaza Strip” helping Hamas and Islamic Jihad develop long-range missiles.

Moreover, earlier today, a Grad rocket was fired from Gaza to Ashkelon.  The rocket was apparently fired by Islamic Jihad.

This is the first time such a rocket has been fired “since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense on November 22, 2012,” and could be indicative of Iranian influence beginning to circumvent Egyptian influence. Egypt has been pressuring both Hamas and Islamic Jihad “to hold their fire” in the interest of protecting regional stability.

In fact, “Israel and Hamas have maintained indirect talks through Egyptian mediation” since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense.

This means an alternate reason behind the rocket firing is that it was simply a “show of solidarity” with the Palestinian Authority protesters in the West Bank last week. 

It has yet to be made clear what Israel’s response will be.