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IDF Assessment Claims Hamas Producing Hundreds of Explosives Monthly During Gaza Ceasefire
A new Israeli military assessment reviewed by Channel 13 on May 13, 2026, details Hamas weapons production, training exercises and tax collection on aid shipments. The report, delivered to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, highlights efforts to rebuild the al-Qassam Brigades to an estimated 27,000 members.
May 13, 11:57 AM·3m read1 source
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A new document from the IDF, reviewed by Israel’s Channel 13 on or before May 13, 2026, assesses that Hamas is producing hundreds of explosives and surveilling IDF troops stationed in Gaza. The assessment adds to signs that the group is rebuilding its capabilities during a truce that has prevailed in Gaza since October 2025.
Israeli journalist Moriah Asraf reviewed the IDF report and called it the most “severe” document released by the IDF that she has viewed during her time covering the ceasefire.
“The IDF chooses time after time to put in writing these warnings … so that nobody will be able to say that they did not know that Hamas is growing stronger,” Asraf said. The report was delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The Channel 13 report assessed that Hamas is producing hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-tank rockets each month.
Hamas is also conducting training exercises in the nearly 40 percent of Gaza under its control. Recent reports indicate that Hamas may seek to use deadly First-Person View (FPV) drone attacks against IDF troops in Gaza. Hamas is exploiting increased aid shipments to smuggle weapons and dual-use products.
Contraband is often concealed in the same boxes as permitted humanitarian goods. Israelis have on occasion participated in smuggling themselves, including assisting in smuggling electronics like cell phones. In February 2026, reports emerged that Hamas was utilizing seaborne smuggling with “drift-containers” to float dual-use contraband from the Sinai Peninsula onto Gaza’s shores.
