Hamas has begun stockpiling advanced weapons in foreign countries with the aim of smuggling them into Gaza in the future, according to new reporting that comes as the Trump administration weighs whether to move forward with Gaza reconstruction without first securing the group’s disarmament.
An unsourced report from Israel’s Kan public broadcaster alleges Hamas has recently begun amassing weapons in multiple African nations, Yemen, and other locations, storing them for later shipment to “strategic locations,” including the Gaza Strip. The move signals that even as international negotiations stall, the group is already planning for a postwar buildup.
The report surfaced just a day after another Israeli outlet said the White House is considering advancing its Gaza stabilization plan while sidelining the requirement that Hamas disarm — a core element Israel insists must come first. According to Channel 13, U.S. officials have struggled to secure commitments from third-party countries willing to help dismantle Hamas’s arsenal as part of a proposed multinational force.
Israeli officials, however, say they will not proceed without demilitarization. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said Sunday that the IDF is making progress demolishing Hamas tunnels along the Israeli-controlled “Yellow Line,” while Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned troops must be prepared to seize additional territory if needed.
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