Senior commanders in the IDF are warning that Hamas is rapidly rebuilding its military capabilities and preparing for another large-scale conflict with Israel, according to a report aired Sunday by Kan News. The assessment was presented last week to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and reportedly paints a troubling picture of the terrorist organization’s renewed strength.
According to the report, senior officials from the IDF Intelligence Directorate and Southern Command told Zamir that Hamas has significantly accelerated its military production, manufacturing hundreds of explosive devices and anti-tank missiles every month. They also said the group has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign targeting young men between the ages of 18 and 22 and has resumed training members of its elite Nukhba force.
The briefing reportedly stated that Hamas is also working to smuggle drones and advanced communications equipment into Gaza through the Sinai Peninsula while continuing to rebuild its extensive underground tunnel network across the Strip.
Military officials further warned that Hamas remains firmly entrenched in Gaza, faces no meaningful internal opposition, and has shown no willingness to surrender its grip on the territory.
Kan News reported that Israeli defense officials have concluded that renewed military operations against Hamas are necessary and that this position has already been conveyed to American officials. However, the United States reportedly opposes restarting the fighting, preferring instead to preserve the current arrangements established under the recent agreement while continuing efforts to advance President Donald Trump’s broader regional peace initiative and the Board of Peace.
According to the report, Israeli security officials have expressed deep concern over Hamas’ military buildup, but renewed operations have not moved forward because of what was described as an American veto on resuming the war.
In a separate development, Kan News reported that a senior Hamas delegation headed by Mousa Abu Marzouk traveled to Moscow on June 10 for meetings with senior Russian government officials.
A Palestinian Arab source familiar with those discussions told the broadcaster that much of the meeting centered on Clause 8 of the proposed peace framework, which deals with the removal and storage of weapons in Gaza and addresses the issue of Hamas disarmament.
According to the source, Hamas indicated that it is prepared, in principle, to accept the provision, but only if several conditions are met. The terrorist group reportedly wants implementation to be handled exclusively by the “National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” insists that any international stabilization force coordinate directly with Palestinian factions, and demands guarantees that weapons removed from Gaza will not be transferred to Israel or any other outside entity.
{Matzav.com}