IDF Colonel Ronen Cohen, deputy head of the Research Division in IDF Military Intelligence, warned Members of Knesset on Tuesday that Hamas is gaining strength in Gaza.  In a meeting with the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Cohen explained that Hamas’s ability to smuggle information and money to and from Egypt was improving despite the closure of border crossings in the area.

Cohen said that Hamas would attempt to rule Gaza by Islamic law.  However, he said, the process of changing to Islamic rule would take time.  Cohen told the MKs that under the current situation, Hamas’s popularity and influence would only continue to grow.