Hamas warns Gazans not to help Israel prepare for next conflict — report

With the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in its second day, the terror group’s internal security force warned Palestinian citizens of the Gaza Strip not to aid the Israel Defense Forces in preparing its bank of targets for the next round of fighting, according to a Saturday television report.

“We warn citizens against giving information to suspicious groups, charities or aid agencies,” the group told citizens of the coastal enclave, according to Channel 12 news.

The announcement from Hamas stated that Israeli security and intelligence services are increasing their efforts to gather information on “the actions of the resistance, movement of members, as part of its efforts to update its bank of targets,” the network reported.

During the 11 days of fighting, the IDF struck hundreds of targets in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials have said an initial assessment shows at least 2,000 housing units were destroyed. The military maintains that the targets it struck all housed assets of Hamas or other terror groups.

The Israeli Air Force targeted residential, commercial, and government buildings, saying it was going after locations where Hamas — the Islamist terror group that seized control of Gaza from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah in 2007 — had offices, command posts, and resources.

The latest round of bombardment killed at least 248 people in Gaza, including 66 minors, and wounded more than 1,900 since May 10, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel says more than 200 terror operatives were killed, including 25 senior commanders.

During the same period, thousands of rockets fired by Palestinian terror groups killed 12 people in Israel including one child, a teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian, and two Thai nationals. Hundreds of Israelis were injured.

Despite the losses on the Israeli side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said Israel had achieved its military objectives in Gaza with “extraordinary” success.

The PM also vowed Hamas would see a much tougher Israeli stance, and that any future rocket fire from Gaza would be met with “a whole new level of force.”

“We changed the equation not only as regards to the operation but also as regards the future. If Hamas thinks we will tolerate a ‘drizzle’ of rockets, it is mistaken,” the prime minister said, referring to the sporadic fire often seen from Gaza between rounds of more major conflict in recent years.

As underlying issues remain unresolved, including the Israeli-Egyptian border blockade, now in its 14th year, and a refusal by Hamas to disarm, another round of fighting at some point seems inevitable.