Israel's Shin Bet recently dismantled a Hamas terror cell in Nablus that was directly funded and guided by Hamas’s overseas command center—based in Turkey.
The cell, which planned shootings and bombings, received around $40,000 and weapons from Turkey. Six operatives were arrested between January and February. One led security forces to a roadside bomb near a major Samaria junction.
According to security experts, Turkey has become Hamas’s primary operational base abroad. Col. (res.) Michael Milshtein, a leading analyst, said Turkey now serves as a “central nerve center” for Hamas, surpassing Lebanon and Syria, where Hamas activities have declined due to regional instability and hostility from Hezbollah.
Milshtein identified Istanbul-based Zaher Jabarin, successor to the late Saleh al-Arouri, as leading Hamas’s West Bank operations. These efforts are largely managed by operatives deported in the 2011 Shalit deal. Milshtein emphasized that Hamas enjoys “freedom of action” in Turkey—unlike in Iran or Syria—but avoids establishing overt military bases to maintain Ankara’s support.