Hamas Is Rearming In Gaza And Preparing For War Again, Report Claims
Hamas is rearming in Gaza and preparing for war with Israel again, according to a new report.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan detailed on Sunday that the country’s Military Intelligence Directorate and Southern Command have issued a warning to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir about the matter.
The unsourced report claimed that the group has been reportedly recruiting new members and producing hundreds of explosive devices and anti-tank missiles every month. It has also resumed training for members of its elite force, Nukhba, and rebuilding underground infrastructure that was destroyed by the IDF over the war.
“Nobody is threatening it, and the organization is unwilling to give up control of Gaza,” officers said in their warning to Zamir.
As a result, officials believe that Israel should resume the war in Gaza, but the U.S. is opposing such a possibility as it prefers to preserve the status quo and try to advance President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative.
Members of the board are set to gather in Cyprus this week to resume efforts to implement the initiative, which has not moved much in the six months since its conception.
Progress has been limited because both Israel and Hamas refuse to take significant steps agreed to until the other side moves first. The Times of Israel noted that the country is refusing to allow the entry of significant relief until Hamas disarms, while the group says it will take steps towards that end once Israel fully withdraws from the enclave. Israel currently controls over half of Gaza.
As for international efforts related to the Board of Peace, none of the five countries that pledged troops for the Gaza Stabilization Force have not followed through with their promises to send troops there..
Indonesia’s commitment to contribute 8,000 troops to the force has been postponed indefinitely as the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran began in late February. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the country had not received “any implementation guidelines” and “new dynamics have emerged,” referring to the then-ongoing war in Iran.
The Board of Peace has placed the blame for the lack of progress on Hamas’ refusal to disarm. The body said earlier this year that it wants to begin its plan for the governance and reconstruction of Gaza in the areas that are not controlled by the group.
Axios detailed that the 20-point plan to achieve peace in the enclave contemplates a provision allowing the board to advance in areas not controlled by Hamas if a scenario like the current one takes place.
