In a surprising turn of events, Israeli investigations have revealed that Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has been utilizing Chinese weapons, including assault rifles and grenade launchers, in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) discovered stockpiles of sophisticated supplies, such as rifles and cartridges for M16s, as well as communication equipment like listening devices and tactical military radios.
Israeli intelligence sources expressed astonishment at the discovery, raising concerns about how this top-grade weaponry made its way into the hands of Hamas. The question at hand is whether the equipment was directly supplied from China to Hamas or if there was an intermediary involved.
The weaponry found included intelligence and communication equipment that could have been used by Hamas to launch surprise attacks. The source emphasized that these were advanced tools that Hamas did not possess before, including highly sophisticated explosives on a large scale.
Dr. Patrick Bury, a defense expert from the University of Bath, suggested that if the quantity is substantial, it is likely involving a state actor, with Iran being a highly probable candidate. Bury raised the possibility that Iran could have purchased the equipment from China, which then found its way to Hamas. He noted that such actions could strain trust between China and Iran, as China might disapprove of its equipment being used in this manner.
The revelation comes at a time when China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, criticized Israel’s actions, stating that they went “beyond the scope of self-defense.” The international community is closely watching as Israel investigates the origin and route of these Chinese weapons into the hands of Hamas.
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