ALBAWABA - A Hamas official has stated that Israel's attempts to penetrate the group have been unsuccessful, attributing this to Hamas's robust internal security and its extensive history of thwarting espionage efforts.
Taysir Suleiman, a prominent Hamas figure, explained that the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has not given Israel insight into the movement's internal workings or allowed it to disrupt its organizational framework. During an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, he emphasized that Hamas does not base its security assessments on Israeli media reports or leaks.
Suleiman characterized counterintelligence as a protracted battle, pointing out Israel's use of diverse tactics to penetrate Palestinian communities. These tactics included financial incentives, coercion, narcotics, and psychological manipulation.
He went on to explain that Hamas maintains dedicated internal security units tasked with countering espionage. Every member of these units receives training to identify and counter infiltration attempts. Suleiman attributed this heightened awareness to years of organizational effort, both within and beyond the confines of Israeli prisons.
Intelligence Failures Acknowledged
The Hamas official stated that Israel has consistently tried to infiltrate the group, using both technological means and attempts to recruit informants, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. He further noted that Hamas has discovered and dismantled numerous espionage networks over the years, and has previously shared information about these operations.
Suleiman stressed that preventing infiltration is a fundamental aspect of Hamas' struggle against Israel, claiming that the group's extensive security experience has allowed it to counter what he characterized as sophisticated intelligence operations.
His comments came after a report in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, which confirmed that Israeli intelligence agencies were unable to penetrate Hamas' leadership—a failure that contributed to the lack of early warning before the October 7 attack.
