The issue of disarming the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has emerged as one of the most complex and sensitive files under discussion in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The issue has imposed itself on both regional and international agendas. It is far from simple, and not a card that can easily be set aside — especially at a time when the Israeli occupation army has committed 80 violations of the agreement, resulting in the deaths of 97 Palestinians and injuries to 230 others since the ceasefire was declared, according to a statement by the Gaza Government Media Office.

The entire matter could turn into a ticking mine capable of blowing up the fragile agreement between the two sides. It may also remain a persistent headache for the Israeli government, potentially dragging everyone into a deep impasse — and taking Gaza back to square one yet again.

Some Israeli, Western and Arab quarters are keen to exaggerate Hamas’s capabilities — yet its military stockpile lacks fighter jets, tanks, long-range missiles, bunker-busting ordnance, smart robotic systems and other precision-guided weapons that the Israeli military possesses.

Hamas possesses short-range rockets, locally made gliders and drones, a home-grown air-defence system, and an assortment of shells, rifles and older weapons upgraded by the movement’s engineers.

According to Egyptian military expert and armament specialist Brigadier General Samir Ragheb, Hamas has managed to manufacture its weapons using simple metals, fibreglass, and uncomplicated engines taken from motorbikes or car spare parts permitted by Israel to enter Gaza — along with guidance devices, some of which, he told the BBC, are repurposed from children’s toys.

Over the past two years, Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has depleted much of its stockpile of weaponry. During the launch of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” offensive on 7 October 2023, it fired more than 5,000 rockets at Israeli sites, airports and settlements. But that arsenal has since dwindled significantly, with rocket fire dropping in recent months to as few as three to five missiles at a time.

The tightened blockade and the widespread destruction that has wiped out more than 90 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure have severely undermined the group’s armament capabilities.........

© Middle East Monitor