Captured Hamas documents seized by the IDF in Gaza reveal that the terrorist organization spent more than a decade building a military infrastructure in Lebanon, in close coordination with Hezbollah and Iran, with the goal of opening a second front against Israel. The findings are detailed in a new study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
According to the documents, senior Hamas officials met as early as 2012 with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and representatives of Iran's Quds Force to formulate a plan for establishing a Hamas military force in Lebanon. The initiative included the creation of combat units, a rocket-launching network, preparations for cross-border infiltrations into Israel, and the procurement and production of weapons.
The documents indicate that by the time of Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021, the infrastructure had already become operational. During the conflict, Hamas launched rockets from Lebanese territory with Hezbollah's approval, while a joint operations room in Beirut coordinated activities between Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian operatives.
Following the operation, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly pushed to significantly expand the project. Documents from 2022 describe plans to build a force of approximately 2,000 fighters intended to operate alongside Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force and participate in cross-border attacks against Israel. Although the full plan was never realized, Hamas's military wing in Lebanon joined Hezbollah's campaign following the October 7 war and claimed responsibility for multiple attacks against northern Israel.
The study also traces the roots of Hamas's presence in Lebanon back to the early 1990s, following the deportation of hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives to Marj al-Zohour. That period marked a turning point in Hamas's relationship with Hezbollah and Iran, while also strengthening the group's influence within Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
The report concludes that any future Lebanese effort to disarm Hamas would carry strategic significance beyond Lebanon itself. Such a move could deprive Hamas of an important military platform against Israel, weaken its grip over the refugee camps, and reduce its political and operational influence in relation to Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.