Palestinian security officers found Kassam missile casings and launchers between the Al Aida refugee camp and Beit Jala, adjacent to the Jerusalem district of Gilo and transferred them to the IDF. The 22 mm missiles, 1.5 meters (5 feet) long, were marked "Allah is great."
The Palestinian officers claimed that they were not armed. The IDF said that while the missile casing were just pipes that posed no "immediate danger," Israeli forces carried out a controlled explosion to destroy them.
Some Israeli analysts say that the Palestinian Authority is trying to score "PR points" for uncovering a non-existent threat and showing their the PA forces are doing something to fulfill their preventive security obligations.
Other Israeli sources speculate that the discovery of missiles aimed at Jerusalem on the eve of the Jewish Succoth festival may indicate that Hamas and other terror groups may be preparing more weapons for firing at the Israeli capital and other civilian targets in Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank").
There are indications that Hamas may be heading for a confrontation with the Mahmoud Abbas regime on the West Bank after driving them out of Gaza three months ago. Wednesday morning, the terror group publicly vowed to carry out a military coup against Abbas and prime minister Salim Fayyad, both now in New York.
The Palestinian Authority security services have been cracking down on Hamas activists were on the West Bank.
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