2,000 terrorists infiltrating from Lebanon: the front Hamas tried to build in the north

Captured Hamas documents reveal a plan to build a military infrastructure in Lebanon to open an additional front against Israel. The infrastructure was already operational in 2021, and in the current war Hamas took responsibility for 13 attacks against the north.

Captured Hamas documents seized by the IDF in Gaza reveal that the organization built a military infrastructure in Lebanon over several years, as part of a strategic plan to open an additional front against Israel. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center analyzed the documents and published its findings. According to the research, the roots of the activity go back to the early 1990s, with the expulsion of 415 Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists to Marj al-Zuhur in 1992, where ties with Hezbollah and Iran deepened. As early as 2012, senior Hamas officials discussed with Hassan Nasrallah and a Quds Force representative the establishment of a military force in Lebanon. During the "Guardian of the Walls" events in 2021, the infrastructure was operational, and Hamas launched rockets from Lebanon with Hezbollah's approval. Documents from 2022 indicate a target of about 2,000 fighters. In the current war, Hamas's military wing in Lebanon participated in fighting alongside Hezbollah and took responsibility for 13 attacks against northern Israel. The researchers argue that disarming Hamas in Lebanon would weaken its grip on the refugee camps.