Posted on 04/18/22
| News Source: i24
Officials say most Gazans oppose escalation partly due to the sense that Gaza 'already paid a price' last year
The Gaza Strip’s governing body Hamas is not prepared for war with Israel, nor is it likely to respond to violent clashes in Jerusalem, an Israeli military intelligence assessment found.
Israeli defense officials said they don’t expect the current unrest between Palestinians and Israeli authorities at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to escalate into a wider conflict involving militant groups in Gaza.
They added though, that Israel is nonetheless preparing for a potential flare-up that “could come at any moment,” Haaretz reported.
Israeli officials claimed that armed groups in Gaza – still recovering from last year’s war with Israel – are facing public and economic pressure to avoid another conflict breaking out.
According to the Israeli evaluation, Hamas’ military wing is not fully recuperated from last May’s rocket warfare and is under the impression that further cross-border clashes could leave it weaker.