The government of Hamas, which is the de-facto governing authority in Gaza, continues to build up its military capabilities in preparation for a future conflict with Israel.
Gaza’s Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the local security forces, many of whom are active in Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Thursday that a comprehensive military drill will be held throughout the coastal enclave this coming Sunday.
According to the announcement, the drill will begin at 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and sounds of explosions and gunfire will be heard in Gaza during that time.
The police headquarters and some of the Palestinian security forces will be evacuated during the drill, and the forces will be deployed in the field. This appears to be a drill practicing a scenario of an Israeli attack.
In recent years, Hamas has been working feverishly to rebuild its infiltration tunnel networkinto Israel, after the IDF destroyed the network during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
In addition, the group has invested considerable resources in the development and procurement of weapons, including long-range missiles that cover most of the territory of the State of Israel.
As part of these efforts, Hamas conducts ongoing missile tests meant to advance its domestic rocket arsenal ahead of its next terror war against Israel.
Just last week, a senior Hamas official announced that Hamas has thousands of rockets capable of striking Tel Aviv and localities to the north in the event of another war.
