JNS
Hamas to preserve two battalions for use after war, according to report
June 18, 2024

Hamas is attempting to counter Israel’s war goal of wiping it out as a military and governing force in Gaza by instructing two battalions to stay out of the fighting, Kan News reported on Tuesday. Sources in the Strip told the Israeli public broadcaster that the terror group was strategizing for its own “day after” scenario that would see these forces pave the path towards re-establishing control over the coastal enclave. One battalion in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and another one in Khan Yunis in the south were reportedly given orders not to participate in fighting as much as possible during the war, which entered its 256th day on Tuesday. Per the report, the Khan Yunis battalion moved south to Rafah under civilian cover during the Israeli incursion there with terror operatives assimilating into the local populace. READ MORE