Hamas seeking a way out: shortage in rockets, loss of assets, launching capabilities hindered
The Hamas terror organization is licking its wounds and is seeking a way to end the IDF’s Operation Guardian of the Walls against its infrastructure after incurring significant damage from the Israeli airstrikes.
ires break out in Gaza as Israel carries out airstrikes amid days of heavy rocket attacks on Israel. Gaza, May 13, 2021. Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
A source from the Gaza Strip told TPS Wednesday night that Hamas is seeking a ceasefire with Israel as soon as possible, and this is the growing tendency in the ranks of the Hamas leadership in Gaza.
Hamas has been suffering for the past day from a shortage of long-range missiles and from significant damage to its ability to launch rockets at Israel, following the Israeli Air Force’s (IAF) damage to its launch pads and weapons warehouses.
The source in Gaza said the IAF has “hit the missile storage sites hard.”
Hamas is also very concerned about the continued damage the IAF is inflicting to its command and control centres. For example, the Al-Shuruk building that the IAF bombed on Wednesday was the centre of Hamas’ internal and wireless communications.
Hamas is also aware of the serious damage to its senior ranks over the past 24 hours and is troubled by the loss of important infrastructure and key members of its organization.
The IDF carried several successful strikes and eliminated several senior Hamas commanders, significantly crippling Hamas’ so-called General Staff.
The Gazan source also said that Hamas is well aware of the Israeli damage to its military infrastructure and government centres.
The source added that the IAF is concentrating an effort to damage Hamas’ tunnels under roads in which it embedded its communication networks, built with equipment and cables Hamas stole two years ago from the warehouses of the Paltel media company.
“Hamas is surprised that Israel was not deterred by its threats to hit Ashkelon and continued to hit buildings [Hamas targets in Gaza], which in the eyes of Hamas, led to a snowball of damage,” the source said.
Hamas gambled on the current round of violence being intense but short and was surprised by the IDF’s decision to expand the scope of its attacks.
It should be noted that this report corresponds with the IDF Spokesman’s briefings and even with reports in the Arab media about Hamas’ desire for an immediate ceasefire.
The source added that Hamas is in contact with the Qatari leadership so that it can act on its behalf to achieve a ceasefire.
“Hamas now understands that Israel may paralyze its governmental capabilities and elements in its leadership are already expressing the shock that is expected of the residents of the Gaza Strip who will soon discover the extent of the destruction,” he said.
Hamas understands that in the coming years there is no one who will agree to finance the reconstruction of Gaza and there are even statements about the need to form a unity government with Mahmoud Abbas in order to enjoy foreign funding for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
