The terror group Hamas is rebuilding its military strength and has sent a direct, explicit threat to Israel that it will attempt more Oct. 7-style assaults in the future, according to reports this week.
Senior IDF military officials have presented their U.S. counterparts intelligence indicating that Hamas is building up its forces for another large-scale confrontation, rather than disarming as the U.S.-backed peace plan demands, according to a Thursday report by the newspaper Ha'aretz.
The group recently even sent a highly unusual, blunt threat to Israel through mediators, warning that it is prepared to launch another Oct. 7-style assault wherever it has the opportunity, including within Israel, in Judea and Samaria, or abroad.
Ynet News reported that senior Hamas officials transmitted this message via UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov.
The officials told Alakbarov that they won’t accept Hamas continuing to lose its grip on the Gaza Strip, which is caused by ongoing IDF operations and Israel’s steady efforts to decrease the area under Hamas’ control by moving the ceasefire line to the west.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority’s cancellation of the planned elections removed a horizon for change and possible hope for the population.
Israeli officials told Ynet that Hamas’ message was unprecedented in its bluntness and was promptly forwarded to the political and security leadership. Israeli leaders, particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, have recently issued a series of warnings over the past weeks that Israel’s enemies could attack before, or during, the Oct. 27 Knesset election.
Hamas ostensibly agreed to the U.S.-backed Gaza Peace Plan but has refused to sign off on a number of its provisions, particularly regarding its disarmament.
Ha'aretz reported that Israeli officials now showed U.S. officials intelligence proving Hamas never intended to lay down its weapons or cooperate with the Gaza Board of Peace.
The report cited IDF assessments that Hamas has largely repaired the tunnel system in the parts of Gaza that it currently controls, roughly between a third and a fourth of the enclave.
In addition, the group managed to recruit new members and replace the tens of thousands of operatives it lost throughout the war, now again numbering some 30,000-40,000 military operatives, similar to its pre-war strength.
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