Captured Hamas document shows how group used Gaza ceasefire to train new terrorists
A captured Hamas military document found by IDF troops in Gaza in early 2025 shows the group used the ceasefire to train new fighters for a possible renewed war with Israel.
Revealed Tuesday, the document outlines a compressed seven-day training course for 121 recruits in Hamas’s Shejaia Battalion. Training included weapons use, battlefield first aid, counter-drone instruction, and lessons from the October 7 attack.
The program was tightly scheduled, apparently due to fears the ceasefire could collapse. Recruits trained on Israeli weapons such as M16 and Tavor rifles, and practiced attacks on tanks and armored personnel carriers at both short and long range. It also included combat documentation meant for later release on social media as part of psychological warfare, along with operational lessons from October 7 and information security procedures.
A central finding highlights commander Izz ad-Din al-Haddad’s effort to rebuild Hamas’s operational structure at platoon, company, and battalion levels after heavy losses and disruption to its command chain. Haddad was killed last Friday in an Israeli strike.
The document also shows ideological and religious instruction, including lectures and an oath of loyalty to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing. The oath reportedly stressed obedience, equipment protection, and information security.
Israeli assessments say this recruitment and training model may have been repeated across other battalions during pauses in fighting. The document notes similar training in three additional battalions, with 12 instructors assigned to each.
The findings align with recent Israeli security assessments that Hamas has continued efforts to rebuild its military wing during the ceasefire. Reports last week said the IDF was preparing plans for renewed fighting in Gaza, while officials warned Hamas was partially restoring its military capabilities.
Overall, the document points to a coordinated effort by Hamas to use ceasefires for structured, accelerated military training ahead of a possible renewed confrontation with Israel.
