Hamas opens up on arms, missile supplies from Iran
Hamas surprisingly revealed the secrets of weapons smuggling through Sudan, Syria, Iran and Sinai, which led to questions about the reasons behind such disclosure at this time.
While Hamas had for years been keen on hiding how it was receiving its weapons and combat equipment from outside the Palestinian territories, it decided to unveil, for the first time ever, some of these security and military secrets.
The program “What is Hidden is Greater” broadcast by the Qatari Al Jazeera channel on Sept. 13 presented exclusive footage showing members of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, collecting Iranian Fajr missiles and Kornet Anti-Tank shells. Hamas said the movement received those weapons by land and sea, bypassing military bases, aviation and maritime patrols, and it revealed the manufacturing of new missiles constructed of Israeli missile remnants from the 2014 war on Gaza.
The program was presented by Palestinian journalist Tamer al-Mashal and hosted by Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, and a number of Hamas military leaders.
During the program, Haniyeh claimed the United States tried to open a discreet channel with Hamas, but the group refused to do so. The United States has meanwhile sanctioned Hamas and Haniyeh as terrorists. US Ambassador-at-Large Nathan Sales, the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism, slammed Haniyeh during a press briefing on Sept. 17, saying, "Our position is very clear. Hamas is a designated terrorist organization. … We do not regard him as a legitimate political actor."
