Hamas is rapidly rebuilding its terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, exploiting humanitarian aid and convincing young Gazans to join its ranks, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Under the leadership of Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist organization is regrouping after significant losses inflicted by Israel.
The past two weeks alone saw Hamas fire approximately 20 rockets into Israel, following a period of relative calm. Additionally, 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in fierce battles near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, as Hamas continues its attacks. Hamas has been rearming itself with improvised explosives fashioned from unexploded ordnance.
Retired Israeli Brigadier General Amir Avivi warned that the pace of Hamas’s rebuilding efforts is outstripping Israel’s ability to dismantle them entirely. “We are in a situation where the pace at which Hamas is rebuilding itself is higher than the pace that the [Israel Defense Forces are] eradicating them,” Avivi told the Journal.
Mohammed Sinwar: Hamas’s New Terror Chief
Mohammed Sinwar has emerged as the key figure orchestrating Hamas’s resurgence. Unlike his older brother Yahya, who masterminded the October 7, 2023, massacre and was subsequently eliminated by the IDF, Mohammed has avoided prolonged incarceration in Israeli prisons. This makes him a more enigmatic and unpredictable adversary for Israeli security forces.
Sinwar’s role in Hamas extends back to his command of the Khan Yunis Brigade, which played a pivotal part in Hamas’s terror operations. He was also instrumental in the 2006 kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and worked to secure Yahya Sinwar’s release in the 2011 prisoner exchange deal.
Since his brother’s death, Mohammed has consolidated power in Gaza, sidelining Hamas’s attempts to establish a collective leadership. Israeli officials have named him, alongside Izz al-Din Haddad, Hamas’s military leader in northern Gaza, as the current top commanders of the terror group.
An Israeli official from the IDF’s Southern Command confirmed that efforts to locate and neutralize Mohammed Sinwar are underway. “We are working hard to find him,” the official stated.
Hamas’s Exploitation of Humanitarian Aid
Hamas’s ability to regroup has been fueled largely in part by the misappropriation of the humanitarian aid. Food, medical supplies, and other resources have been seized by the terror group and redirected to bolster its military capabilities and financial resources.
This exploitation of aid, which Israel was pressured to allow into Gaza by the Biden administration, has directly enabled Hamas to replenish its ranks and weapons stockpiles.
Hamas has also resorted to recruiting impoverished Gazans at funerals and prayer gatherings, promising food and aid to their families in exchange for their loyalty. While many of the new recruits are young and inexperienced, Hamas trains them to carry out small-scale terror attacks, such as hit-and-run operations using anti-tank missiles and firearms.
A Dire Threat and a Clear Solution
Sinwar himself has reportedly taken a hardline stance in ongoing ceasefire negotiations and hostage-exchange talks. In a written message to mediators obtained by The Wall Street Journal, he declared, “If it is not a comprehensive deal that ends the sufferings of all Gazans and justifies their blood and sacrifices, Hamas will continue its fight.”
Destroying Hamas is the only guarantees too end its reign of violence and terror, but it is unclear if the terms of the latest ceasefire being negotiated will allow Israel to make that to happen.
Content from JNS was used in this report.
