GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported Jan. 23 that Hamas is seeking to set up a military force in the Syrian Golan Heights to fire rockets at Israel. The broadcaster quoted Israeli security sources as saying that Iran had instructed Hamas to set up a force in the Golan Heights in order to strike Israel from the north.
Hamas is yet to comment on the report. Contacted by Al-Monitor, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem refused to make any comment, but Palestinian security experts and political analysts believe that the timing of the announcement conveys Israeli political messages to a number of international parties such as Russia and the United States.