Hamas Gearing Up for Tunnel Attacks into Israel, Says Recently-Arrested Jihadi Fighter

Jack Guez/Reuters
Jack Guez/Reuters

A recently-arrested Hamas jihadi has revealed that his U.S.-designated terrorist organization plans to continue to build underground tunnels, while using them to launch clandestine attacks against the State of Israel.

Ibrahim Adel Shehadeh Shaer, a 21-year-old Hamas terrorist in Gaza with knowledge of the group’s tunneling activities, revealed the information to Israeli officials after his arrest in July, Israeli media censors cleared for publication on Tuesday.

Shaer reportedly told Israeli officials that Hamas is gearing up for the next war with the Jewish State through utilizing a variety of training methods, including weapons and explosives training. Shaer told the Israelis that he helped relay weapons and explosives to Hamas fighters engaged in combat against IDF forces during last year’s war, which Jerusalem codenamed Operation Protective Edge.

The Hamas fighter said Iran was very involved with helping to rebuild Gaza’s terror apparatus. Iran continued to transfer weapons, communications equipment, and cash to the Gaza Strip’s ruling authorities. He added that Tehran was sending special equipment meant to disrupt Israeli surveillance drones tasked with monitoring activities in Gaza.

Shaer admitted to interrogators, according to Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency, that Hamas is smuggling weapons and aid into Gaza and designating its use for the next war with Israel. Hamas authorities, however, are pretending that the materials are being used to rebuild the territory, Shaer said.

He also revealed that many Hamas fighters had stored weapons and explosives in their personal homes, for fear that the IDF would bomb the weapons storage areas should the jihadi fighters not hide their materials. Such an admission, if true, would lend further evidence to the charges that Hamas committed gross violations of basic human rights during their summer 2014 war with Israel.

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