Revelation of Documents on the Islamic Republic's Arms Smuggling Network to the West Bank

New studies from the Israeli Information and Terrorism Center, based on documents obtained from Hamas in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), have revealed a complex network of arms smuggling by the Islamic Republic. According to these documents, there were two main routes for transferring weapons to the West Bank. The first route began in Syria and passed through Jordan, while the second route went from Syria to Lebanon and then directly to Israel. These documents also indicate that a Hamas smuggling network in Jordan has collapsed, and Hamas, along with the Islamic Republic, has attempted to transfer weapons to the West Bank to open a new front against Israel. The United States, Israel, and Jordan have taken fundamental actions to prevent these smuggling operations. Additionally, the documents show that Russia has also secretly been working to limit smuggling in the border area between Syria, Jordan, and Israel. The investigations and findings published are based on documents reviewed by Shin Bet and the Israeli Army Intelligence. Before the fall of the Assad regime, Syria played a key role in arms smuggling and helped equip Hezbollah with advanced and precise weapons. These weapons have been used in some conflicts against Israel. The Islamic Republic has provided extensive financial and military assistance to Hamas through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. For example, in 2019, about $42 million was transferred to Hamas's military branch. In addition to supplying weapons, Hamas members have been trained to use drones and other advanced equipment, with some of this training conducted in Iran in cooperation with Hezbollah. The documents indicate that weapons were transferred from Yemen through trusted smuggling networks to Gaza, and even the use of submarines for this purpose has been mentioned. Coordination between the Islamic Republic, Hezbollah, and Hamas for strategic attacks on Israel, including two years of preparation for the October 7, 2023 attack, has been part of these plans. The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday, November 29, that the Israeli army has obtained documents showing that the Islamic Republic has transferred tens of millions of dollars to Hamas resources annually over the past twenty years. These documents, obtained during the Israeli army's operations in the Gaza Strip and interrogations of Hamas members, show that the Islamic Republic has acted as Hamas's main strategic supporter since 2014, providing not only military equipment and training but also hundreds of millions of dollars to various branches of Hamas. These documents also refer to the Islamic Republic's support for other militant organizations in the Gaza Strip and funding for civilian, educational, and cultural projects in the region. Information obtained from these documents indicates that since 2021, the Islamic Republic has been consulting with Hamas to prepare for a large-scale attack on Israel, which has also included support from Hezbollah. According to the New York Times, Hamas began its planning with the Islamic Republic for the October 7, 2023 attack in 2021. Following the terrorist attack on October 7 last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the hostage-taking of over 250, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this group supported by the Islamic Republic. This report also shows that the Islamic Republic has sought to increase its influence over Hamas's decision-making and expand its influence in the region by allocating extensive budgets for civilian programs and strengthening Shiites in Gaza.