‘Hamas in control of Gaza, getting stronger,’ warns watchdog

“Hamas is completely in control; the blow the organization has suffered is not enough to bring it down,” says Israeli who warned IDF of October 7th attacks in advance.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli man whose warnings about the October 7th attacks were ignored is once again sounding the alarm about Hamas’ capabilities in Gaza.

Rafael Hayon, a resident of the southern city of Netivot, warned the Israeli army in early 2023 about a flurry of suspicious communications between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ma’ariv reported.

Hayon had intercepted radio and phone calls between the two terror groups via equipment he independently obtained, and listened in on their conversations from his own home.

According to Hayon, he told the IDF that a major military operation appeared to be in the works, based on discussions that he overheard.

Military officials confiscated Hayon’s equipment, scolded him for allegedly endangering soldiers, and brushed off his warning, he told Ma’ariv.

Now, Hayon said he once again has heard worrying indications about Hamas’ strength and military prowess, saying that the terror group is far from defeated after nearly 18 months of war.

“As of this moment, Hamas is training non-stop, mainly underground and in places where the IDF, at least for now, is not operating,” Hayon told Maariv on Monday. “Not only is it training, it is also recruiting a large number of new people for its ranks.”

Hayon noted that since the October 7th terror onslaught, Hamas has revamped fighting strategy to prioritize propaganda and public visibility.

“Today, they ask every fighter to have a camera on them to record and broadcast everything in real-time,” Hayon said.

Hayon added that Hamas operatives are now battle-hardened after protracted fighting with Israel.

“Hamas’s current warfare strategy is such that one Nukhba terrorist today is worth ten Nukhbah terrorists of October 7,” Hayon said.

“Their survival rate, the conditions they find themselves in, their combat strength, and their method of guerrilla fighting” has made them more formidable than previously, he continued.

“Hamas is completely in control; the blow the organization has suffered is not enough to bring it down.”

The terror group “has learned, and in the process of learning, they changed all their tactics,” Hayon added.