1. Home
  2. Terrorist Organizations
  3. Hamas

Hamas

The Israeli protests against the judicial legislation as reflected in Hamas documents

The demonstrations and protest which began in Israel in January 2023 against the judicial legislation promoted by the Israeli government received systematic, extensive attention from the Palestinian media, with commentary on the implications for Israeli society and its military strength; Senior Hamas figures did not publicly comment on the protests in Israel, but Hamas documents brought back by the IDF during the Gaza Strip War showed they were monitoring the reports daily and referred to them in conversations among themselves and with their partners in the "resistance axis," especially in light of preparations for implementing the practical plan for the vision of "the destruction of Israel";  Among the documents were reports from Hamas intelligence departments which gave extensive coverage to the developments surrounding the government's proposed "judicial reform" and the protest, and the possible implications for the IDF’s functioning in light of the reservists' protest; From the documents it appears that Hamas intelligence personnel warned Yahya al-Sinwar, the head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, that given its internal events, Israel would respond with force to any "resistance" initiative, and therefore they recommended waiting and allowing the crisis in Israel to deepen. Nevertheless, al-Sinwar continued the preparations and ordered the execution of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre while Israel's internal crisis was still ongoing, reinforcing assessments regarding Israel's response as presented in the Hamas intelligence documents.
Read more...

Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (June 3 – 10, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive air and ground attacks on targets belonging to Hamas and the other terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip and expanded their control to additional areas. A leader of the Mujaheddin Brigades who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre was eliminated. He was also involved in holding and murdering hostages. Five IDF fighters were killed in two incidents; Hamas said it was prepared to hold renewed negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and accused the Israeli government of the stalemate; The humanitarian fund in the Gaza Strip continued to distribute food packages at centers and through local traders. Hamas accused IDF forces and American security guards of shooting at civilians who had arrived in the area; Hamas security forces announced they would pursue members of the Yasser Abu Shabab militia after confirmation that Israel had given them weapons. Chaos continues in the Gaza Strip with looting, exchanges of fire and executions; The IDF stopped the protest ship Madeleine en route to the Gaza Strip and deported most of the passengers to their original countries. A land convoy with thousands of volunteers left Tunisia for the Rafah Crossing in an attempt to "break the siege"; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria; Palestinian Authority chairman Abbas sent a letter to the French president and the Saudi Arabian crown prince in preparation for the "two-state solution conference" in New York. He called for the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip and declared that the "Palestinian state" would be demilitarized if it received international protection.
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (May 28—June 4, 2025)

Iran’s Supreme Leader said that “the crimes of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip” arouse astonishment and warned that any Islamic government that supports the “Zionist regime” will be left with a mark of shame; The Iranian Supreme Leader’s advisor for international affairs met in Tehran with representatives of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and declared that his country is committed to continuing to support “the struggle of the Palestinian people until the liberation of Jerusalem.” The Iranian foreign minister visited Egypt and stressed the need to stop the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip; The Iranian foreign minister met with senior Lebanese government officials in Beirut and stressed that his country respects Lebanon’s internal affairs and is not involved in them; The Houthis claimed responsibility for four ballistic missile attacks on Ben Gurion Airport and three drone attacks. The IDF Spokesperson reported four incidents of intercepting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen. The Houthis also warned companies operating within the “Zionist entity” to leave immediately. The Iranian foreign minister expressed support for continued Houthi activity against Israel but emphasized that they do not operate according to Tehran’s instructions. 
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (May 26 – June 4, 2025)

IDF forces continued to operate against the presence of Hezbollah in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire understandings and against the organization’s attempts to renew its military capabilities. Six Hezbollah operatives were eliminated and weapons storage facilities in south Lebanon and in the Beqa'a Valley were attacked; Senior Hezbollah figures continued to criticize the Lebanese government's diplomatic conduct in response to Israeli “violations” and emphasized the role of the “resistance"; Senior Lebanese government officials reiterated the claim that the Israeli presence in south Lebanon prevented the army from deploying to the border and claimed that Hezbollah was complying with the ceasefire terms; The president and prime minister of Lebanon reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the state’s monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah expressed outrage at the Lebanese foreign minister’s remarks against the organization but welcomed President Aoun’s actions following their first meeting; Hezbollah reportedly changed its organizational and military structure following the penetration of Israeli intelligence and the damage to the organization’s security; The Iranian foreign minister visited Lebanon and met with senior government officials and with Hezbollah's secretary general. He claimed his country sought good relations with Lebanon and did not interfere in its internal affairs; A senior officer in the Lebanese army informed representatives of the Palestinian "factions" of the intention to begin disarming the refugee camps in the middle of the month. 
Read more...

Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 27 – June 3, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks on terrorist targets of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. Three IDF soldiers and an Israeli civilian employee of the IDF were killed in two explosive device incidents in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF spokesperson officially announced the elimination of Muhammad al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas’ military wing; Israel and Hamas disagreed over the ceasefire agreement proposed by United States envoy Steve Witkoff. Hamas said that while they were open to negotiations, they would not release hostages without sufficient guarantees for ending the war; The American company established to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza reported that approximately six million packages had been distributed at four centers in the southern and central Gaza Strip. Reports of the increasing looting of aid trucks and food warehouses led Hamas security forces to execute suspects; A ship of pro-Palestinian activists set sail from Sicily toward the Gaza Strip in an attempt to “break the siege; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, during which about $2 million intended for financing terrorism was seized; Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas held an online meeting with a delegation of Arab foreign ministers after Israel prevented them from arriving in Ramallah.
Read more...

Khaled Mashal, Hamas’ “external” leader, is a controversial figure, as documented in documents found by the IDF in the Gaza Strip

Khaled Mashal, who has headed the Hamas “external” leadership since April 2021, is one of the founders of the movement, was head of its political bureau for 21 years. Nevertheless, he is considered a controversial figure who symbolizes the tension between the “external” leadership and the “internal” leadership in the Gaza Strip; Hamas documents found by the IDF during the war in the Gaza Strip provided evidence of power struggles in the movement’s upper echelons. The documents described how the “internal” leadership, led by Yahya al-Sinwar, sought to weaken Mashal’s influence in the Hamas decision-making centers; The documents also showed Mashal was perceived as an obstacle to strategic relations with Iran, by both al-Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, and by Mohammad Saeed Izadi, head of the "Palestine branch" of Iran’s Qods Force; The documents showed that the “internal” leadership and Iran worked to isolate Mashal during the reconciliation process with Syria as part of strengthening the “resistance axis"; Hamas is now led by a temporary committee of five senior figures, including Mashal. Elections for the senior positions in the movement’s leadership are expected to take place only after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. However, in light of the eliminations of many members of the “internal” civilian and military leadership, the importance of the “external” leadership is expected to increase, particularly that of Mashal, who has lost his main rivals in the movement’s upper echelons. In addition, Iran’s regional weakening and the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria may also reduce opposition to Mashal’s power.
Read more...

Previous years bulletins

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004