IDF officials are warning of a disturbing shift in Hamas terror activities in Gaza, confirming for the first time that the terror group is actively working to rebuild and consolidate its military control over the Gaza Strip.

According to information published by Channel 12, despite talk of Hamas “disarmament,” Hamas terrorists have recently been accessing weapons depots, removing weapons, and using them to reinforce the terror group’s control on the ground.

The weapons depots house rockets, small arms, and combat equipment.

The IDF has stepped up its operations in response to this shift. On Tuesday, Southern Command forces, guided by Shin Bet intelligence, carried out a strike that destroyed three weapons depots and a launch pit.

Over the past week, the Southern Command carried out 16 targeted strikes, eliminating 14 terrorists, including five company commanders and four platoon commanders.

IDF officials have also identified Hamas’s growing willingness to engage Israeli forces directly. Over the past two weeks, Hamas has launched kites, opened fire at troops stationed along the Yellow Line and detonated an explosive device against a military engineering vehicle.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)