Is radical Islamic group planning West Bank takeover? Security officials fear clandestine Hamas preparations for phase two of revolution; new IDF unit aims to uncover terror group’s giant financial apparatus, but is it too late?

Alex Fishman
Published: 11.02.07, 19:29 / Israel News

The new unit established by the IDF’s Central command has neither a name nor a number at this time. What they do have, for now, is a grey stone building packed with piles of crates filled with papers, waiting to be translated, reviewed, and classified. Meanwhile, the cabinets are packed with confiscated computer parts. All the material in this building was gathered at various West Bank offices during the nightly raids undertaken by IDF troops at least three of four times a week at Palestinian mosques, villages, and towns.

For now, there are 20 Arabic-Hebrew translators in this unit. But everyone knows this unit will be growing and hire dozens more. There is no other choice: Gaza was already overtaken by Hamas, and unless something drastic is done, a West Bank takeover is only a matter of time.

The amazing part of this story is that these materials, which are waiting to be translated, have been in the army’s hands for a while now - receipts, bank transfers, instruction manuals, and documents attesting to ties with worldwide organizations that engage in fundraising on behalf of Hamas. However, after they were collected, there was nobody out there to translate them and address the information. Most of this material simply piled up and collected dust.

Only now, IDF officials are starting to realize that we actually have no clue about the extent and depth of Hamas’ hold in the West Bank. Or as a senior military source characterized it this week: “We still don’t know how much we don’t know in all matters pertaining to Hamas’ true power in the West Bank.”