According to a detailed report by the Arabic newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsad”, the Israeli secret services allegedly developed a wide network of informants in Gaza. The infiltration, the culmination of years of efforts, is raising serious concerns within Hamas, concerns heightened by efforts to remove the organization’s No. 2, Mohammed Taif.

“Israel has relied on informants on the ground for decades,” reveals a source quoted in the article. “Hundreds of people associated with Israeli security services have been arrested over time.”

Since last Saturday, Hamas has launched a “thorough investigation” into its intelligence apparatus to find out who could have provided crucial information about the whereabouts of long-considered untouchable Mohammed Taif. Israeli spying methods prove different, the article reveals. For example, an Israeli recruit reportedly received sneakers embedded with spy chips. “These shoes allowed him to scan the tunnels he used in various parts of the northern Gaza Strip,” the article said.

Even more alarming, cooperation is not limited to the lowest levels. “Second and third level leaders have cooperated with Israel,” says one source. “They provided information on the location of leaders, weapons and missile production sites and tunnels.” In 2015, a young woman was arrested in connection with an assassination attempt on Daif. Although the operation failed to eliminate its primary target, it claimed the lives of Daif’s wife and two of his children. In the face of these revelations, Hamas tries to maintain a facade of hope. A spokesperson for the organization says: “We operate under the principle that breaches can happen at any time. We follow a complex security measures and approach.” He adds: “A place where a leader stays for a long time is neither above nor below the ground.”