Israeli senior security officials said they expected this development once the peace process appeared to be moving forward. They said the recent long period of relative quiet was not due to Hamas self-restraint, but due to joint efforts by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas decided last year to radically escalate the level of its attacks. Previous bombings were carried out with some 33 pounds of TNT. But Hamas is planning to carry out attacks with up to 660 pounds of TNT in a single explosion, a senior security source said.
Izzadin Kassam suffered a serious blow when Israeli security forces killed its head, Adel Awadallah, at a hideout near Hebron nearly a year ago. Widespread arrests decimated the terror network. Hamas has tried to reorganize, often through secret messages passed by leaders in jail.
One senior security source said the Shin Bet has recently discovered Hamas recruits undergoing two years’ training in Iran in communications and sabotage. The recruits are then sent elsewhere, perhaps to India, to build a cover before returning.
In a similar vein, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed last week at a Beirut rally that his organization will continue fighting against Israeli forces and South Lebanese Army regardless of any resumption of peace talks between Israel and Syria.
Israel Defense Force spokesman Brig.-Gen. Oded Ben-Ami affirmed Hezbollah’s intentions. “It is still trying to plant explosives and is still firing artillery and we don’t intend to rest until we hit all those who are trying to hit the IDF or the SLA,” he said.