An Israeli media report has claimed that Hamas is rebuilding its operational and logistical capabilities inside the Gaza Strip through coordinated smuggling routes by air and sea, despite the ongoing ceasefire and Israeli military pressure.
According to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, Israeli public opinion has increasingly embraced the belief that Gaza’s borders are sealed, the war has effectively ended, and Hamas is nearing collapse. However, conversations with Israeli military officials, including senior figures, reportedly present a very different assessment. The report states that Hamas is undergoing what it describes as a rapid and systematic recovery process.
Israeli Claims Over Humanitarian Aid Channels
The newspaper alleged that humanitarian aid routes have become one of the primary channels enabling Hamas to strengthen its position in Gaza.
Sources cited in the report claimed that at least two recent shipments contained prohibited materials allegedly smuggled under the cover of approved food supplies and humanitarian assistance.
Senior Israeli officials reportedly argued that these incidents are not isolated cases, but part of a broader mechanism intended to preserve Hamas’ operational continuity and prevent its collapse.
The report further claimed that Hamas has visibly expanded its presence across the territory by moving openly in public areas, reinforcing local control, establishing armed checkpoints, and rebuilding elements of governmental infrastructure.
Hamas Control Across Large Areas of Gaza
According to the Israeli report, Hamas currently maintains full control over more than two thirds of the areas in Gaza that are outside direct Israeli military control.
The newspaper claimed this influence is maintained through a combination of force, intimidation, financial distribution networks, and the strategic use of humanitarian aid to consolidate authority on the ground.
Israeli sources also alleged that since the summer of 2025, weapons and ammunition have been smuggled into Gaza using drones launched from Egyptian territory.
While the Israeli military reportedly intercepted several smuggling attempts, officials cited in the report acknowledged that other operations may have succeeded undetected.
Alleged Maritime Smuggling Operations
The report additionally claimed that Hamas has developed maritime smuggling capabilities involving floating containers positioned off Gaza’s southern coastline.
Israeli sources described humanitarian aid convoys entering Gaza from Egypt through Israeli crossings as the “main strategic concern,” arguing that inspection procedures remain insufficient to fully prevent the entry of prohibited materials.
According to the allegations cited by the newspaper, Hamas exploits gaps in the inspection system alongside Egypt’s willingness to exclude certain restricted products from aid screening processes.
The report claimed that humanitarian shipments are allegedly being used to smuggle weapons, ammunition, dual use components, motor oils, electronic equipment, and raw materials required for local rocket manufacturing.
These materials are reportedly concealed inside legitimate aid consignments in ways that Israeli inspection systems are unable to reliably detect.
Israeli Military Preparing for Possible Return to War
In light of what the report describes as Hamas’ growing activity inside Gaza, Israeli military leadership is reportedly speaking more openly about the likelihood of renewed fighting in the territory.
However, the newspaper noted that Israel’s current military commitments may complicate any large scale escalation in Gaza.
According to the report, Israeli forces remain heavily deployed in Lebanon, additional units are operating inside Syria, reinforcements are required in the occupied West Bank, and the Israeli Air Force is simultaneously preparing for the possibility of confrontation with Iran.
The report concluded by citing Israeli security sources who argued that Israel must continue pushing for a disarmament arrangement in Gaza, while avoiding a broader regional war that could drain both Israel and the international community and divert attention from efforts aimed at dismantling armed resistance capabilities in the Strip.
