Israeli military officials revealed to The Jerusalem Post this week that the flow of arms into the Gaza Strip has again reached the volumes seen before the Israeli military operation against terrorists there last December and January.

The sources said the arms are being brought in through and estimated 500-1,000 tunnels that run under the short Gaza-Egypt border.

Israeli officials continue to maintain that Egypt could put a total halt to the smuggling in less than a day by setting up military obstructions on its side of the border.

But speculation is that Egypt will never do so because the trade, which includes more than just weapons, is vital to the economy of the Sinai Peninsula, and because aiding Israel in that way could lead to demonstrations that would bring down President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

Some Israeli politicians also believe that Egypt, which despite a peace treaty remains hostile toward Israel, has an interest in allowing Hamas and Israel to bleed one another.