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Hamas Militants Negotiate Deal with North Korea for Supply of Missiles - Report

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Hamas militants are negotiating a new deal to buy missiles and telecommunications equipment from North Korea, according to the Sunday issue of the Telegraph newspaper, which is citing sources in the Western security services.

MOSCOW, July 27 (RIA Novosti) - Hamas militants are negotiating a new deal to buy missiles and telecommunications equipment from North Korea, according to the Sunday issue of the Telegraph newspaper, which is citing sources in the Western security services.

The transaction is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is carried out with the help of some Lebanese trading company. Security officials say that the Hamas leadership has already sent the first tranche as a guarantee of the transaction and expects North Korea to start the deliveries of weapons into Gaza. Hamas needs new missiles because their own reserves are depleted after a 20-day confrontation with Israel.

The cooperation Hamas and North Korea became public in 2009, when an Ilyushin Il-76 plane, which had been carrying weapons for Palestinian and Lebanese militants, was detained in Bangkok. More than 35 tons of weapons were found on board during the inspection: grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft missiles of obsolete design, and explosives.

Hamas and Israel agreed to suspend all hostilities for 12 hours on Saturday. After that, Israel announced the extension of the ceasefire for another four hours - until midnight. This time, the militants refused to make the same promise and fired about a dozen rockets at cross-border regions.

Nevertheless, the Security Cabinet of Israel voted to refrain from resuming hostilities for another 24 hours, still warning that Israel will not to leave possible Palestinian attacks unanswered.

The ceasefire that began on Saturday was the longest pause in 20 days of the confrontation, which killed more than a thousand Palestinians. On the Israeli side, at least 40 soldiers and officers were killed, as well as three civilians.

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