Senior Israeli security sources confirm that Hamas terrorists have recruited thousands of young people, who have been undergoing intensive military training to prepare them for the next round of warfare against Israel.
The new recruits are mostly high school graduates who have finished their matriculation exams and remain unemployed due to the economic situation in Gaza.
The new group of recruits is supposed to insert new blood into Hamas’ ranks and fill the ranks in various units, which have suffered many losses in battles with the IDF over the past two years.
The large-scale recruitment is also aimed at strengthening the connection between the Hamas leadership and the public in Gaza.
Since mid-June, Hamas has also been holding many summer camps, in which high school pupils from around the Gaza Strip are trained to bring them closer to Hamas’ ideology and turn them into fighters in the future.
These summer camps are held on the sites of the Jewish communities that were expelled by the Israeli army in August, 2005.
The implication of this youth terror training course is that the Israeli army will have to provide special mental preparation for Israeli troops who will face off with armed children in the next conflict.
David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com. His Web site is www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com
©The Bulletin 2008