by Amir Bohbot
Israeli defense officials say Hamas is rebuilding and coordinating with Hezbollah and Iran to challenge the ceasefire across multiple fronts.
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The assessments follow an IDF operation that killed the Zeitoun Battalion commander in Gaza and a series of recent airstrikes in Lebanon, raising questions over potential rocket fire from Gaza and Israel’s next steps on the northern front.
According to the officials, US pressure is, for now, restraining a sharper Israeli response to Hezbollah’s ceasefire violations.
According to Southern Command sources, Hamas’s military wing has been rebuilding its force since the ceasefire took hold, gathering intelligence, recruiting and training operatives, and preparing for escalation.
The group is reportedly searching for operational opportunities to launch a surprise, limited attack against IDF units inside Palestinian territory, in violation of the deal, the sources said.
Northern front: Quiet on the surface, pressure building
In parallel, Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Iranian funding and encouragement, are working to restore terror infrastructure, smuggle and move weapons into southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, recruit new operatives, and intensify training for a future round against Israel.Military sources say Hezbollah is acting in clear violation of the ceasefire understandings and is moving in the opposite direction of demilitarizing southern Lebanon and disarming. Recent IDF strikes have targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives involved in rebuilding capabilities, according to the military.
The military sources add that the Northern Command commander would like to respond in a far more aggressive manner to Hezbollah’s violations. Still, at this stage, the United States is tying Israel’s hands behind its back.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Syria, accompanied by the defense minister, the foreign minister, and the Shin Bet director, was intended to send a message to the United States and to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that Israel will not give up the security belt on the Syrian Golan Heights.
This comes amid the Syrian president’s recent statements about normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for an IDF withdrawal from the Syrian Golan.
Security officials are not impressed by the rapprochement between the White House and Damascus, mediated by Turkey, and argue that al-Sharaa’s jihadist past cannot be erased so quickly, even if the United States has lifted the bounty on his head. They add that he does not necessarily control his own country.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
Amir Bohbot
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-874560
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