At a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet on the eve of the third anniversary of the massacre, ministers were presented with a two-part assessment of the situation: Hamas has been significantly weakened in qualitative terms, but is rebuilding its ranks and preparing for a resumption of fighting. At the same time, a sharp confrontation erupted between the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and Minister Orit Strock over settler violence.
Shin Bet chief David Zini informed ministers that Hamas is planning an attack or a targeted abduction around the time of the elections or afterward. Ministers were also warned about a possible multi-front event.
According to intelligence assessments, Hamas has recently been intensifying its preparations for a resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip. The organization is gathering forces and weapons and relocating some of them to civilian areas. According to this assessment, Hamas believes that Israel’s hands will be tied until the Israeli and U.S. elections, and that it will not receive a green light for a large-scale operation.
The head of...
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