Israel Finds "Evidence" Hamas Received Strategic Weapon Guidance From Iran

Israel Defense Forces troops operating in Gaza City's Daraj and Tuffah districts discovered components used by Hamas to produce precision-guided missiles and other strategic weapons with direct assistance from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the military announced on Sunday.

Nahal Brigade troops found "components proving terrorists of the Hamas terror organization learned under Iranian guidance how to operate and build precision components and strategic weapons," the IDF said on X, sharing photos showing a rocket engine and warhead.

The Iran-backed weapons manufacturing plant was discovered as part of an operation to expose a 330-foot terror tunnel, the army added.

"Over the last few days, we encountered the enemy and many [terror] squads, infrastructure, and boody-trapped houses," said Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Yair Zuckerman.

Forces also discovered many terror tunnels, as well as rocket launching pads used to target the greater Tel Aviv area and Israeli communities near the Gaza border, said Zuckerman.

Iran supports Hamas by supplying it with funding, intelligence, weapons, and technological knowledge, and the Biden administration has described the Islamic Republic as being "complicit" in the Oct. 7 attacks.

As many as 500 men affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad trained in the Islamic Republic leading up to Oct. 7, The Wall Street Journal reported in late October. The exercises reportedly took place in September, at which time terrorists received specialized combat training.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers, and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 129. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.

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