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Hamas crisis could present an opportunity for Israel

According to Israeli assessment, the record-low point in which Hamas finds itself currently could either lead to a confrontation with Israel or to more moderate policies.
Members of Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas ride a truck outside a Hamas-run military court where alleged collaborators with Israel are prosecuted, in Gaza City May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem       TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX36SVG
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While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) constantly train and ready themselves for the possibility of a military confrontation with Hezbollah on the northern front, tension is now increasing on the southern front opposite the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is undergoing a harsh humanitarian crisis due to the discontinuation of support from Qatar and the electricity cutback affair, where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas informed Israel the Palestinian Authority would stop paying for Gaza's electricity supply. In addition, Hamas leadership in Gaza will face an interesting challenge in the coming weeks when the IDF begins its earthworks for creating an underground barrier surrounding the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from digging cross-border attack tunnels.

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