IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar inside the Gaza Strip
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar entered the heart of the Gaza Strip on Thursday to assess the situation on the ground.
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"The main source of strength in this war, which I feel all the time, is our cooperation," said Halevi to the troops. "I look around and see the IDF, in every corner, everyone is doing everything that they can so that you will be as strong as possible. There is nothing that they will not do to help you work well. Keep moving forward, thoroughly, you set the pace. We are behind you!"
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IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar inside the Gaza Strip
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
"There is great and unprecedented awe both amongst the public, the political echelon, and inside Hamas," Shin Bet Director Bar said. "This continues to improve. As a representative of the Shin Bet I can tell you that during the war, we work for the IDF."
Meanwhile, the Military Intelligence Directorate revealed that senior members of Hamas who are responsible for orchestrating the terror attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, currently residing abroad, away from the warzone.
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Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Among the notable names mentioned by the IDF are Ismail Haniyeh, the terror group's leader; Khaled Mashal, the head of its external leadership; and Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas's politburo.
According to the IDF Hamas's external leadership is engaged in terrorist activities in four key areas: Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar and Iran. A quarter of the members of the organization's politburo in the Gaza Strip are currently residing in these four countries, and, as per the IDF, they have distanced themselves from Gaza's hardship while continuing to pull the organization's strings.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar two weeks ago
(Photo: West Asia News Agency)
In addition to the mentioned senior figures, there are approximately ten other Hamas officials currently residing abroad, primarily in Qatar, which has become a stronghold for the terror group. From there, these high-ranking officials are overseeing the current war with Israel.