The Israel Defense Forces estimates Hamas has between 4,000 to 6,000 long-range rockets remaining in its arsenal, enough for between 40 to 60 days of sustained attacks against Israel if it launches about 100 rockets per day.
With the borders to Gaza currently closed, Iran is concerned Hamas may not be able to keep up a sustained rocket war against Israel if such a lengthy conflict is necessary. Hamas has some capacity to produce rockets inside the Gaza Strip but Israeli military operations have greatly minimized the rocket-building infrastructure.
Besides sending cells to the Sinai with the goal of infiltrating Gaza to aid in the rocket production effort, the Iranian-backed Hizbullah terrorist organization is sending cells to the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula to possibly open a new front against the Jewish state, WND reported last week.
Already this past weekend at least five rockets were launched from the Hizbullah stronghold of Syria into the Israeli Golan Heights, signaling another possible front from the north.
Middle Eastern security officials said Hamas believes Israel does not want a full-blown war, betting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will sue for a truce before Israeli schools re-open in two weeks. Hamas believes the Israeli public will be less supportive of a war with children returning to the classrooms, the officials said.
However, in the case of a longer conflict, Hizbullah is prepping cells in the Sinai Peninsula capable of launching its own rocket war and possibly widening the front against Israel, said the officials.
The officials said there is information Hizbullah cells could even launch attacks from the Sinai in the coming days, perhaps to signal to Israel what is in store without a truce.