Internal Hamas documents recovered during combat operations in the Gaza Strip have revealed a systematic effort by Hezbollah and Iran to establish a Hamas military presence in Lebanon. The documents, released Wednesday by IDF Arabic Spokesperson Ella Waweya, show that this "state within a state" expansion occurred without the authorization or knowledge of the Lebanese government.
The leaked records detail a high-level meeting between senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials, attended by Said Izadi, the former head of the Palestine Branch of Iran’s Quds Force. This meeting served as the formal authorization for a joint project to embed Hamas military infrastructure within Lebanese territory.
Under the agreements reached in the meeting, Hezbollah committed to providing Hamas with comprehensive logistical and financial backing, including:
- Infrastructure: Access to Hezbollah's long-standing weapons warehouses and training facilities in Southern Lebanon.
- Logistics: Full assistance in the storage and transportation of military equipment to Hamas-controlled zones.
- Military Expansion: Support for Hamas to recruit personnel and procure advanced weaponry to enhance its missile and artillery programs.
