
Border officials say Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of assault rifles and pistols and thousands of bullets into Gaza from Egypt, during the four days since Israel pulled out. Israel is furious because Egypt deployed 750 troops on the frontier who were supposed to prevent weapons smuggling. But thousands of Palestinians tore down the border fence, and efforts by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to seal the border have failed. There are now so many weapons in Gaza that black market prices have dropped sharply. A Kalashnikov assault rifle fell from $2,000 to $1,300, while bullets cost $1, a quarter of the old price. Israeli hawks warned that this would happen, and now they're saying, “I told you so.”