Evidence

Multiple news outlets reported this claim in October 2025, originating from a Haaretz report citing Israeli sources. The Times of Israel confirmed and republished the report, stating Israeli intel officials told US counterparts that Hamas has up to 40,000 operatives, has no intention of disarming, and has restored much of its tunnel network. The same figures and framing (30,000–40,000 fighters, roughly pre-October 7 strength, repaired tunnels) were repeated by Daily Times (Pakistan), TheYeshivaWorld, and fnnews, all attributing the information to Haaretz's sourcing. Daily Times explicitly noted that 'these claims reflect Israeli intelligence assessments and have not been independently verified' by outside parties. I found no Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo investigation specifically addressing this claim's accuracy.