Hamas is again threatening an escalation, and it appears that it’s not only the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that’s motivating the movement’s leadership to send aggressive signals and messages to Israel.

The most recent round of violence between Israel and Hamas ended a month ago, on May 6, after some 700 rockets were fired toward Israel, killing four Israeli civilians. As with previous rounds, a cease-fire was implemented with the mediation of Egypt and Nikolay Mladenov, UN envoy to the Middle East, after Israel offered various relief measures for Gaza. Has Gaza’s situation changed for the better since May 6? No.

The month of Ramadan, which ended June 3, was one of the hardest Gaza residents have experienced. An Israeli security source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor that although Hamas is claiming that Israel has been dragging its feet on implementing a long-term arrangement (or truce) believed to include economic relief for Gaza, Israel in fact made a significant gesture this month in allowing the transfer of goods and raw materials in quantities unprecedented since the closure against Gaza began a dozen years ago, in 2007. The source hinted that Qatari money has been allowed into Gaza in various ways and has reached a great number of needy people in order to allow them to celebrate Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr. This was all done, he said, for humanitarian reasons, to reduce economic pressure in Gaza. Now that the holidays are over, threats from Hamas have resumed. 

In recent days, Hamas' leadership in Gaza has communicated to Egypt and to Mladenov that its patience is running out, and that if Israel fails to fulfill the arrangement, Israel should not expect quiet. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have replenished their rocket supply.