TEL AVIV – The Iranian-backed Hezbollah is currently consulting with Hamas on how to hide missiles and munitions in the Gaza Strip from the discovery of international inspectors, informed Middle Eastern security officials told WND.
The newfound Hezbollah aid, coordinated directly with Iran, is being offered as a precaution amid truce talks that may bring inspectors to the Gaza Strip to ensure Hamas' rocket infrastructure is dismantled, the officials said.
Asked about the report, an Egyptian official directly involved in the cease-fire negotiations told WND that Israel is indeed currently demanding the demilitarization of Hamas as a precondition for any future truce.
Specifically, in the truce talks, Israel is floating the possibility of United Nations or other international inspectors overseeing the dismantlement of Hamas’s missile infrastructure after a cease-fire is eventually imposed.
TRENDING: To DEI for
Sources in Jerusalem confirmed that the concept of international inspectors ensuring the disarmament of Hamas’ rocket and missile caches was discussed today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
After their private meeting, Netanyahu and Ban held a joint press conference in which the Israeli leader affirmed his country's right to defend against missile attacks.
"The people of Gaza are the victims of the brutal Hamas regime," Netanyahu said.
Ban called for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the resumption of "peace talks" aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel’s military campaign has reportedly extended beyond the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Air Force carried out a surgical strike on a warehouse in Sudan housing long-range missiles destined for Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Arab reported Monday.
Last week, WND exclusively reported Hezbollah was implementing plans to rearm Hamas in Gaza with more missiles following any truce, according to informed Middle Eastern defense officials.
Al-Arab on Monday quoted unnamed sources in Sudan divulging the warehouse was bombed Friday by Israel, contradicting Sudanese officials who had claimed the explosion was caused by a fire.
Al-Arab reported the Sudanese government imposed a total media blackout on the incident to cover up its relationship with Hamas. Sudan claimed the warehouse contained training equipment and not rockets.
There have been numerous reports in the past of Israel bombing weapons convoys in Sudan destined for Gaza, including at least two such strikes in 2011 and another in 2009. Israeli officials have claimed some of the weapons convoys were coordinated with Iranian help.
In addition to the alleged plan to ship more weapons to Hamas in Gaza and the new plan to help Hamas hide its rockets, WND last week reported Hezbollah reopened an operational room with Hamas to coordinate regional militant developments, according to informed Mideast defense officials.
The operational room, commissioned at the direction of Iran, is in Lebanon. It is coordinating with Hamas command-and-control in the Gaza Strip, the defense officials said.