Senior Israeli military officials have presented intelligence to their American counterparts indicating that Hamas has no intention of surrendering its weapons and is actively rebuilding its military capabilities in preparation for another full-scale war with Israel.

According to a report published Thursday by Haaretz, the intelligence was shared with Washington in recent days and has also been presented to Israel’s political leadership.

The findings indicate that Hamas has no intention of cooperating with international organizations seeking to oversee its disarmament, with Israeli security officials assessing that military force is the only realistic way to remove the terrorist organization’s weapons.

The IDF believes Hamas has managed to repair significant portions of its underground tunnel network and replenish weapons supplies in areas of the Gaza Strip that remain under its control.

Even more concerning, Israeli intelligence estimates that Hamas currently has between 30,000 and 40,000 operatives, roughly the same number it maintained before the October 7, 2023, massacre.

The assessment suggests that despite extensive Israeli military operations throughout the war, Hamas has succeeded in rebuilding a substantial portion of its fighting force.

Israeli security officials also believe that Hamas has reestablished its governing authority throughout the areas it controls in Gaza, with no significant rival organization capable of challenging its rule.

The intelligence findings raise serious questions about the prospects of implementing a diplomatic arrangement that would require Hamas to surrender its weapons and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip.

American-led efforts to negotiate a comprehensive agreement involving Hamas’ disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza have stalled amid disagreements over how such an arrangement would be implemented.

The latest assessment indicates that Hamas is preparing for the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting rather than taking steps toward disarmament, increasing concerns that another major military confrontation could become unavoidable.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)