Report: Israel tells US Hamas doesn’t plan to disarm and is rebuilding its forces
Intel officials say the Palestinian terror group has up to 40,000 operatives, has strengthened its control in Gaza and restored much of its tunnel network amid stalled negotiations
Senior Israeli military officials have presented intelligence to their US counterparts that indicates Hamas has no intention of disarming and is instead rebuilding its forces in the Gaza Strip in preparation for possible renewed fighting, the Haaretz daily reported Thursday.
Citing sources familiar with the information, the outlet reported that there is no intelligence indicating that Hamas has a set date to restart fighting or that it has developed an organized operational plan. The sources, however, reportedly described the assessment that the Palestinian terror group would not voluntarily surrender its weapons as “unequivocal.”
The intelligence from the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet was presented to American military officers, as well as to Israel’s political leadership, in recent days, as the administration of US President Donald Trump exerts pressure to implement a US-backed Gaza peace plan.
According to the report, the IDF believes Hamas will not hand over its weapons to an international body, and can only be disarmed through military operations, including entering areas of Gaza not currently under Israel’s control.
It also said Hamas has stockpiles of weapons in areas where the IDF did not conduct ground operations throughout the war, in part because of concerns that hostages were being held there. The military added that Hamas has restored much of its tunnel network in areas outside Israeli control and, according to Haaretz, has some 30,000 to 40,000 operatives.
Israeli security officials said that Hamas has reestablished its governing authority in Gaza and faces no significant challenge to its rule there, including from Palestinian clans that have lost much of their influence – raising doubts about their ability to form a new governing authority, the report continued.
Security officials cited by Haaretz said Iran and Turkey are among the main sources of Hamas’s funding, and that the terror group receives much of the money in digital currencies converted by pressuring changers in Gaza to provide $100 in cash in exchange for $130 worth of digital currency.
Meanwhile, the upcoming winter season is expected to worsen the living conditions for civilians in Gaza, and the IDF believes, according to Haaretz, that Hamas intends to exploit the humanitarian situation through an international campaign to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel.
At a recent closed-door meeting reportedly involving representatives of the IDF, the Foreign Ministry, the National Security Council and other government agencies, military officials insisted on a coordinated public diplomacy plan and messaging strategy. The IDF’s position was that Israel should not wait until images of flooded tents, suffering residents dealing with shortages and destroyed infrastructure appear in international media.
However, the proposal was rejected by officials who argued that proactive efforts could instead draw more attention to Gaza’s conditions.
According to sources cited by Haaretz, officials fear those efforts could also highlight commitments made by Israel to Washington that have yet to be fulfilled, which could lead to increased pressure from the Trump administration.
One central dispute involves the reconstruction of two wastewater treatment facilities in Gaza that were damaged during the war, which began following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages.
Washington maintains that Israel already committed to allowing the facilities’ reconstruction, while the IDF and Shin Bet oppose the project over concerns that Hamas could divert the construction materials to rebuild its military infrastructure.
According to IDF figures, approximately 600 trucks carrying food, tents, blankets and warm clothing enter Gaza every day, and water supplies have increased through pipelines from Israel and one from Egypt, financed by the United Arab Emirates, to about 70 liters (18.5 gallons) per person per day.
The IDF said the water supply is at the highest level since the war began and added that Gaza’s humanitarian situation is better now than at any point since the war began in 2023, according to Haaretz, even amid the massive destruction there. Hundreds of thousands of Gaza’s residents live amid widespread destruction and insufficient housing or sanitation.