Hamas military commander rumored to be alive in Gaza strip

Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing, has returned to active duty in the Gaza Strip, according to local media reports.

Sources in Israel believe that Deif, who has survived numerous assassination attempts by the IDF, most recently during Operation Protective Edge nearly a year ago, is now trying to forge closer ties between the Palestinian Islamist group and Iran.

According to Israel Radio, Deif is seeking to procure more armaments and funding for Hamas.

As such, Israeli sources say that there is dissension within Hamas, particularly between the group’s political bureau and its military wing.

According to reports, Deif and his commanders accused the diplomatic bureau of preventing his charges from carrying out a surprise, preemptive strike against Israel on the eve of last summer’s conflagration.

Deif’s purported plan was to deploy dozens of terrorists through Hamas’ underground tunnels and into Israeli communities on the other side of the Gaza frontier. 

Upon reaching Israeli towns, the gunmen would then begin killing civilians while taking others hostage.

Israeli sources also told Israel Radio that Hamas continues to dig new tunnels using cement that it purchased on the black market in Gaza. The Islamist organization is also manufacturing rockets that can strike targets 150 kilometers away.