The most interesting revelation in the Shin Bet security agency’s Tuesday statement about an arrested and interrogated Hamas operative deals with the ties between the Islamist movement and Iran.

According to the statement, Ibrahim Shahade Sha’ar – accused of terrorist activity – told interrogators that Iran has been transferring money, supplying military equipment and training members of Hamas.

This was already known, but Sha’ar revealed that among the equipment provided was electronic gear to distort frequencies, aimed at destructing communication between drones and their operators, causing them to crash.

His confession enables Israeli intelligence to better understand two important developments which emerged in the last year since the end of the third Gaza war.

First, it will improve Israel’s insights into the depth of the division between the military and political wings of Hamas. Since the last war, the military wing has increased its disobedience to the political echelon.

Second, the results of the interrogation can help Israel better observe the relationship between Iran and Hamas’ military wing. While the political wing of Hamas, particularly the structure led abroad by Khaled Mashaal, is disengaging from Iran and moving in the direction of Saudi Arabia, the military wing is tightening its relations with Iran.

Read the article in full at the Jerusalem Post.