Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is ready for a fresh conflict with Israel, the head of the Jewish state鈥檚 domestic intelligence agency told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday.
Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman said Hamas had rebuilt its relationship with Iran -- following earlier differences over the conflict in Syria -- and was funneling resources into preparing itself for 鈥渁nother confrontation with Israel鈥�, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Argaman was quoted by the newspaper as saying that Hamas continued to pose a serious threat to Israeli security, claiming that Shin Bet had foiled some 200 attacks over the course of the last year.
He also described the Israeli-occupied West Bank as 鈥渇ragile鈥� owing to tensions that have mounted since July, when Palestinians took to the streets to protest a raft of Israeli security measures -- since repealed -- at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque.
鈥淚sraelis are not aware of everything the ISA [Shin Bet] does,鈥� Netanyahu said at Sunday鈥檚 security meeting.
The prime minister went on to assert that, in July and August, the Shin Bet had broken up over 70 鈥渢errorist cells鈥� that had been planning attacks on Israelis.
By Kaamil Ahmed in Jerusalem
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
听