Access point to Hamas terror tunnel. (Photo: IDF spokesperson)
Hamas has proudly confirmed that it is rebuilding its terror infrastructure. This admission, together with reports of Hamas missile tests, point to the likelihood of renewed attacks from Gaza.
The leader of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades publicly admitted that the organization is rebuilding its terror tunnel network.
The Gaza-based newspaper Al-Resalah sent reporter Mahmoud Foda to a tunnel site on Sunday, where he saw the diggers hard at work, repairing a tunnel that had been bombed by Israeli planes during Operation Protective Edge.
Humanitarian Ceasefires in War Strategy
The commander of the digging team, Abu-Khaled, admitted that the tunnel’s repairs were launched “during one of the humanitarian ceasefires reached during the war.”
There were previous indications that Hamas had used humanitarian ceasefires as part of its war strategy and that the terror organization has been engaged in an effort to rebuild terror infrastructure. In mid-September, for example, Al-Qassam Brigades announced that terrorist Ahmad Riyad al-Hadad had died while engaged in “underground activities,” without specifying exactly what they entailed.
In early October, an Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson announced at a rally that “the tunnels of Al-Qassam are fine, thank God. Our men will begin the next battle with their feet on the ground in Nahal Oz…and the other settlements around Gaza.”
Together with the missile test launches reported over the past two months, these developments point to Hamas’ preparation for renewed attacks against Israel. A senior Israeli diplomatic source, quoted in Israeli media, said that “Hamas did not wait a single moment after the last round of fighting, and began its rearmament in anticipation of another round.”
Author: Tzvi Zucker,
Tazpit News Agency