Israeli military officials said on Monday that the war in the Gaza Strip has not ended, warning of the threat of a wide-scale raid like the one that occurred on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The Israeli security services are currently operating as if a similar raid is planned against us,” the officials said, adding that measures are being taken to counter it.
The warnings came at a meeting last week for the military security coordinators of the Israeli communities along the Gaza border. The meeting was only revealed on Monday.
The officials stated that the Israeli army is aware of this threat, not only in the south but also along the Israeli border, in the north and in the West Bank and even on the border with Syria and Jordan.
The meeting concluded that the security threat is not limited to Hamas, but involves other groups.
The officials said Israel left Hamas and other militant groups in a weakened position. However, they warned that these factions believe in an ideology that would push them to repeat the Oct. 7 attacks, which they “consider successful despite the high price paid by the people.”
Such warnings were confirmed by sources at the Israeli Army Southern Command, which said the threat of a wide-scale raid like the one that occurred on Oct. 7 exists, but in low probability.
They said Hamas retains the capability to carry out a platoon-level raid.
“Today there are three divisions inside Gaza, and forces deployed in the (Israeli border) communities. The Israeli army is deployed on a much wider scale than it was on Oct. 7 and Hamas was badly beaten all over the Strip,” the sources said.
Amid the security warnings, Israeli political officials spoke of the dangerous operations carried out by Hamas last week in the town of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.
They said Hamas used tactics to monitor Israeli troop movements and booby-trapping homes and roads, resulting in the killing of 11 soldiers in seven days.
Initial Israeli investigation said Hamas took advantage of stormy weather to plant an explosive alongside a military logistics route in Beit Hanoun. But this explanation was ridiculed.
The Hebrew media said the latest developments in Gaza proved that the Israeli political and military leadership failed to properly conduct a sound strategic policy and adopted military solutions instead of exploring wise alternatives to stop the war.
On Monday, the Israeli military said five of its soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Gaza, while eight others were wounded.
The deaths bring the Israeli military's losses to 408 in the Gaza military campaign since it began a ground offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian territory on October 27, 2023.
