"However, it is not a classical military organization, and under fire
Hamas can be expected to employ the principles of asymmetric warfare," the
report said, "the directing of small fighting units — platoons and
squads -- focusing on hit and run attacks; blending in with and disappearing
into the civilian population, while making extensive use of civilians as
human shields."
The Israeli intelligence think tank said Hamas's Executive Force,
responsible for internal security, contains 10,000 officers. Hamas's
military wing, Izzedin Kassam and led by Mohammed Deif, was said to comprise
of 15,000 combatants.
The report said Hamas could recruit up to 4,000 fighters from other
militias. Some of the fighters were said to be prepared to come under Hamas
command in any war with Israel.
"Thus, the entire strength Hamas has at its command in the Gaza Strip is
about 20,000 armed men of varying degrees of skill and professionalism," the
report said.
Hamas's military wing consists of territorial brigades and special
units. Each brigade contains more than 1,000 combatants, equipped with
anti-tank infantry, sabotage and medical squads.
The report, based on data provided by the Israel Security Agency, said
Hamas's military contains anti-aircraft units, the Russian-origin Dragunov
sniper assault rifle, 122 mm rockets and other weapons.
"As part of its military buildup project, Hamas is making an effort
supplement its independently-produced weapons and ammunition with standard
equipment," the report said. "Hamas grants great importance to artillery --
rockets and mortars -- anti-tank weapons and improvised explosive devices
for use against the IDF's infantry and armored combat vehicles since those
types of weapons proved themselves in Hizbullah's fighting against the IDF
on the Lebanese scene."
The regime's internal security forces number 10,000, about 60 percent of
them civilian police. The forces contain a rapid response unit, VIP
protection, national security, internal security, maritime and civil
defense.
"Hamas's terrorist policy is characterized by treading a fine line to
defuse the tension between its governmental duties on the one hand and its
belligerent jihadist identity and faith in attacks as the means of achieving
its strategic objectives on the other," the report said. "That means the
controlled use of terrorism — including rocket fire — to achieve its goals
seeking, at least for the time being, to avoid an overall confrontation with
the IDF in the Gaza Strip."