Israeli intelligence officials have said that they believe that Sudan is the source of Hamas' armaments, according to the newspaper Yediot Ahronot. According to a report in the Israeli paper, some of the missiles that have hit Israel during the current confrontation with Gaza were made in Sudan. In 2009, Israel was said to have targeted a convoy of weapons in Sudan destined for Gaza, and in 2012 an explosion at an arms factory was also linked to Israel. Reacting to the report, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti said that Israel was making accusations to cover up its own misdeeds. However, experts do not rule out further action by the Israelis against the Sudanese government, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently described as an “enemy”. When Israeli warplanes fired at the Yarmuk factory south of Khartoum in October 2012, intelligence sources said that they had destroyed an arms cache containing Iranian hardware. Sudanese officials have denied supplying Hamas with weapons, saying that Israel has a plan to undermine Sudan. Israel also has close links with South Sudan and is said to have helped it in its war with the Khartoum government. Israeli intelligence sources claim that Sudanese-Iranian relations have grown since 2008, following the signing of a military agreement between the two sides. Sudan is receiving weapons from Iran and sending them to Sinai where smugglers deliver them to Hamas, according to Israel's account. Such arrangements may have worked in the past, but given the stringent security measures the Egyptian government is taking in Sinai and its constant monitoring of the Sudanese border, it is hard to think that such a route is still operational. But the Israelis maintain that the route starts from Bandar Abbas in Iran and proceeds via Sudan into Sinai and onward into Gaza. If there were a grain of truth to the Israeli allegations, then it would be that Hamas had the weapons in stock before the Gaza borders with Egypt were blocked as a result of the recent security measures. Experts do not expect Israel to take any major action against Sudan, given the criticisms of its current war in Gaza. But such long-distance attacks are known for their sophistication as well as for their high cost. According to Israeli sources, Israel sent eight planes, including two helicopters and a fuel supply craft, on the 1,900-km flight to Sudan to carry out the last attack. One of the planes carried a team of shock troops for possible rescue operations if one of the planes had to make an emergency landing or was shot down. If Israel decides to target Sudan in a more intensive way, it will not be just to block arms from reaching Hamas. Israel may be trying to weaken the Khartoum government, which is still locked in battle with many rebel groups, some with possible links to Israeli intelligence. Israel is known to have forged close links with several countries in the Horn of Africa, a strategy that it has followed for years with devastating effects for Sudan and a potential risk for the entire Arab region. Among its operations in Africa, Israel is helping South Sudan to build an airbase in the Upper Nile State. This could be the beginning of military cooperation between the two countries that Could pose a serious threat to Khartoum. Israel is also said to be involved in military training in various countries close to Sudan. Its experts routinely offer help to African nations seeking to purchase weapons. One of Israel's long-held aspirations is to deploy a powerful naval force in the Red Sea, complete with submarines and aircraft carriers. It may seem improbable at present, but with the map of the region begin redrawn at a swift pace, the prospect may not be as unlikely as it sounds.
