Senior officials in the Hamas terror organization have played down statements regarding the scope of weaponry remaining in the group’s possession following the war in Gaza.
In an interview with the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the officials claimed that the “armed organizations” are now mainly left with Kalashnikov and M16 assault rifles, along with other light weapons, and a limited number of anti-tank grenades and small explosive devices.
The statements come against the backdrop of Israel’s demand to disarm Hamas as a condition for moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas appears to be seeking to convey the message that the weapons still in Gaza no longer pose a significant threat to Israel’s security.
Meanwhile, an internal Hamas document outlining the group’s lessons from the Swords or Iron war and its future plans – including intentions regarding Judea and Samaria – was recently uncovered and exposed the organization Ad Kan and the Reservists Generation of Victory movement, which located it on Hamas-affiliated social media channels.
The document characterizes the opening day of the war as a success, despite acknowledging that not all objectives were achieved. “They describe the outbreak of the war as ‘the glorious crossing day,’ claiming they succeeded in paralyzing Israel,” Ad Kan chairman Gilad Ach said. “They argue that the next confrontation will involve multiple fronts – Judea and Samaria as well as Lebanon – and state their goal is to end the current war while still standing.”
In addition, during talks held last week with US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a starkly different intelligence assessment, according to which Hamas still possesses approximately 60,000 Kalashnikov rifles and around 20,000 armed fighters. According to Channel 13 News reporter Moriah Asraf, Netanyahu stressed emphasized to the US administration that “without weapons collection, there will be no civilian rehabilitation of Gaza.”
According to reports in the international media, Netanyahu and Trump agreed to allow a period of roughly two months for the disarmament of Hamas, the achievement of full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the destruction of the remaining tunnel network. Israeli officials have warned that if these demands are not met, the IDF will be required to complete the mission through a large-scale military operation.