Hamas has begun distributing rifles to its terrorists throughout Gaza so that the weapons can later be presented as privately owned “personal weapons,” rather than part of the terror organization’s formal military arsenal, Kan News reported Saturday night.
The maneuver appears designed to allow Hamas to claim compliance with international demands for disarmament while ensuring that its weapons remain in the hands of its terrorists.
A Gaza source familiar with the matter left little doubt about the organization’s real intentions.
“Hamas will not disarm. Period,” the source told Kan News.
AFSI Insight
Hamas’s reported distribution of rifles as “personal weapons” demonstrates that its so-called disarmament cannot be taken at face value. Renaming or redistributing weapons does not eliminate the terrorist threat or change Hamas’s intentions. AFSI believes Israel must insist on the complete, verifiable dismantling of Hamas’s military capabilities before considering any concessions or withdrawal, as anything less risks allowing Hamas to rearm and continue threatening Israeli lives. We also believe that all terrorist organizations in the strip be disarmed. This includes PIJ, PFLP, etc. It is our belief that Israel and Jew hatred is so pervasive in the strip that attempts at achieving disarmament will eventually, fail.