The proliferation of arms smuggling has become a prevalent issue across the entire Middle East. Extremist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have been remarkably successful in acquiring their share of weaponry.
The critical question arises: how did Hamas amass such an extensive arsenal that enabled them to launch approximately 5,000 missiles on October 7? Gaza already grapples with trade restrictions on various goods, such as concrete and metals, which could potentially be repurposed for weapon production.
While Hamas has shared videos illustrating how they construct rockets using water pipes, they have also developed the capacity to manufacture various weapons independently in recent years. This evolving capability includes a broader focus on research, the development of drones and unmanned underwater vehicles, participation in cyber warfare, and the progression from unguided rockets to precision GPS-guided drones and missiles.
According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, "Hamas is now manufacturing a large part of its own weapons, expanding its research, developing drones and unmanned underwater vehicles, engaging in cyber warfare, and on the cusp of graduating from unguided rockets to precision GPS-guided drones and missiles."
However, the complexity of this issue extends beyond Hamas. The problem of arms smuggling permeates throughout the entire Middle East, impacting extremist organizations like Hezbollah as well.
With Iranian and Hezbollah logistical support, Hamas has mastered the art of discreetly transporting critical weapon shipments, either from Libya or through Sudan. They employ generous cash payments to local tribes or even resort to bribing Egyptian military officers, as confirmed by Hamas expert Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib.
Additionally, a Hamas naval commando base with a tunnel extending meters into the sea was uncovered. Weapons intended for Hamas are often deposited into the sea in sealed capsules miles off the coast of Gaza.
The problem of arms trafficking is most rampant in East Africa and Western Asia. According to the Global Organized Crime Index 2023, East Africa and Western Asia received the highest scores, ranging from 7.4 to 7.8, in terms of arms trafficking, on a scale of 1 to 10.
The 2021 Global Organized Crime Index highlighted that Western Asia, which includes countries like Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen, possesses the world's most extensive arms market, boasting an average score of 7.25 out of 10, compared to the global average of 4.92.
Furthermore, Middle Eastern countries bear the consequences of the vested interests of global superpowers, including the United States and Russia. The unceasing rivalry between Saudi Arabia, backed by the US, and Iran, supported by Russia, has led to the strategic arming of proxy groups across the region. These groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al-Qaeda affiliates, are direct beneficiaries of this rivalry.
Moreover, the Middle East has a history of prolonged conflicts and wars, such as the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s, and the Libyan conflict following the Gaddafi regime's collapse in 2011. While these wars may have ended, the weapons utilized during these conflicts continue to circulate, falling into the hands of extremist groups, which persist in using them to this day.
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