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Hamas has Reportedly Recruited up to 15,000 New Terrorists Since Oct. 7
Palestinian fighters from the armed wing of Hamas take part in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, near the border in the central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
i24 News – Hamas has allegedly recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 new members since the war against Israel began, according to US congressional sources citing intelligence reports.
This recruitment drive is viewed as a strategy to compensate for the group’s heavy losses, despite the ongoing devastation in Gaza.
The reported recruitment figures align closely with the estimated number of Hamas fighters killed during the conflict. Israeli assessments suggest that approximately 20,000 Hamas operatives have been neutralized since hostilities began.
“Each time Israel concludes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas fighters reorganize and resurface because there is nothing else to fill the void,” remarked former Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 14. Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida had previously confirmed in July that the group had recruited “thousands” of new members.
However, American intelligence sources note that many of these recruits are young, poorly trained, and primarily tasked with basic security duties rather than front-line combat. By October 7, 2023, official US data estimated Hamas’s fighting force at 20,000 to 25,000 members.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon downplayed the threat posed by these new recruits: “Even if they recruit young people, they don’t have the weapons or training facilities to turn them into effective fighters. Yes, they can incite hatred against Israel, but without equipment or training, they can’t mount a significant threat.”
While Israeli military operations have severely disrupted Hamas’s command structure, including the elimination of key military leaders, the group remains active.
In his resignation speech, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi acknowledged Hamas’s resilience, stating that although the organization has suffered significant damage, it has not been eradicated.
Halevi assured that the IDF remains committed to continuing operations against Hamas to ensure Israel’s security.
The post Hamas has Reportedly Recruited up to 15,000 New Terrorists Since Oct. 7 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: IDF Probes Whether Houthis Used Iranian Cluster Bomb-Bearing Missile
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Israeli military said Saturday it launched a probe into the failure of its defenses to fully intercept a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, parts of which struck not far from the Ben Gurion airport on Friday night.
According to the Ynet website, one of the hypotheses being examined is that the projectile contained cluster munitions, similar to those used by Iran to fire at Israeli cities during the 12-day war in June. Cluster munitions pose a challenge to interceptors as they disperse smaller explosives over a wide area.
In June, Iran fired several missiles carrying scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties.
The IDF said on Saturday that its initial review suggests the ballistic missile from Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air. Five interceptors from various systems engaged with the missile, including THAAD, Arrow, David Sling & Iron Dome.
Authorities said that shrapnel impacted a house in the central Israeli moshav of Ginaton, yet no one was hurt, with the fragment landing in the house’s backyard.
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Iran Forces Kill Six Militants, IRNA Reports, Israel Link Seen
The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after armed rebels killed five police officers in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said evidence showed the group was linked to Israel and may have been trained by Israel‘s Mossad spy agency. There was no immediate Israeli reaction to the allegation.
Another two members of the militant group were arrested, the report said. All but one of the militants were foreign, it added, without giving their nationality.
Iranian police said this month they had arrested as many as 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy.
Tehran says some of them have ties to foreign powers and are involved in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.
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Benny Gantz Urges Time-Limited National Unity Government to Further Chances of Hostage Deal
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz attends his party’s meeting at the Knesset, Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition politicians to form a temporary national unity government to further the chances of bringing home the hostages held in Gaza.
Addressing Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, Gantz said that the proposed government’s two supreme priorities would be the release of Israeli hostages held by the jihadists of Hamas and instituting universal conscription in Israel by ending the exemption from military service enjoyed by the ultra-Orthodox.
Upon attainment of the goals, the government would dissolve and call an election.
“The government’s term will begin with a hostage deal that brings everyone home,” Gantz said in a video address. “Within weeks, we will formulate an enlistment outline that would see our ultra-Orthodox brethren drafted to the military and ease the burden on those already serving. Finally, we will announce an agreed-upon election date in the spring of 2026 and pass a law to dissolve the Knesset [Israeli parliament] accordingly. This is what’s right for Israel.”