Hamas reveals new anti-tank weaponry against Israel in West Bank

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the Hamas terror organization in the West Bank, revealed its new anti-armor explosive named, which was reportedly already deployed against the Israeli forces during the recent IDF counterterrorism operation in the Jenin refugee camp, Operation Home and Garden.

The new "Shawaz 1” weapon appears to level the playing field in the asymmetrical war between the powerful Israeli tank forces and the vastly outgunned Hamas operatives.

In an official statement, the Brigades claimed its fighters had "detonated one of them on an Israeli army vehicle" during the latest round of fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Jenin-based terrorists.

In June, Jenin-based terrorists launched an ambush against an IDF armored vehicle, which wounded seven IDF soldiers. The Israeli forces appeared to be taken by surprise and the IDF deployed aerial support to evacuate the wounded and trapped Israeli troops.

The Arabic news outlet Rai Al-Youm reported that “Shawaz 1” appears to have armor-piercing capabilities similar to those previously used by the Lebanese-based Hezbollah militant group against Israel and by Islamist militants against American forces in Iraq.

These lethal armor-piercing devices are capable of penetrating up to 8 inches of steel, thereby constituting a serious threat to armored vehicles, according to American military data.

The new explosive device will reportedly enable terror groups to hit IDF military vehicles from a greater distance.

Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip and was founded in 1987 as a radical offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, is ideologically dedicated to the Jewish state’s destruction. However, at the same time, the organization is increasingly trying to challenge the Palestinian Authority’s waning rule in the West Bank, particularly in the Jenin area, which has emerged as a leading hub for cross-organizational terrorist collaboration against Israel.

While the northern West Bank city of Jenin is formally under the Palestinian Authority’s control, Hamas and rival Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists are rapidly increasing their local influence with Iranian assistance. In June, a PA official warned that the Iranian regime had already established a presence in the increasingly restive West Bank.

“Iran is already here, in the West Bank,” the PA official said.

The PA's Ministry of Interior issued a statement on Monday vowing to enforce its control over all its territory across the West Bank.

“The Ministry affirms its full commitment to implement the directives of President Mahmoud Abbas to work continuously to implement the rule of law and provide security and safety for our people in all places,” read the official PA statement.

“We warn anyone who seeks to harm the security of Palestine and its people,” the statement continued with a thinly-veiled warning to Hamas and PIJ organizations.

PA forces recently arrested several militants who reportedly attacked a local police station. These Islamists have been characterized as “outlaws” by the PA, as they widely challenge the PA rule.

Akram Rajoub, who formally serves as the PA's governor in Jenin, said the arrested militants were affiliated with PIJ, Hamas and even the Fatah party organization, which is led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

“We affirm that when the [Palestinian] security forces arrest any Palestinian, they carry out their duty with all professionalism and responsibility,” stated Rajoub.

In a sign of growing tensions, Jenin Brigade operatives who belong to PIJ blasted Ramallah for “chasing and arresting resistance fighters.”

The Jenin Brigade also accused the PA of synchronizing its arrests with the Jewish state.

“We’re not demanding that the [Palestinian] security forces to fight [against Israel] on our behalf, but they should not be stabbing us with the knife of political arrests,” according to the Jenin Brigade statement.