JERUSALEM (AP) — A senior Israeli military official says the Islamic militant Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip now looks “much like an army,” thanks to direct assistance from Iranian and Hezbollah agents stationed there.
He told The Associated Press that Hamas has recovered from its war against Israel two years ago. He said the militant group now has a “vast amount” of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles and a “very big arsenal” of rockets that can strike deep inside Israel, as well as a sophisticated communications system.
He says Hamas could not have developed this expertise without foreign help.
The official, a senior officer in the Israeli military’s Southern Command, spoke on condition of anonymity under military guidelines barring publication of his name.
