The Telegraph reported on Saturday that Hamas is seeking to replenish its supply of weapons from North Korea.

Defense editor Con Coughlin reported that Hamas has reportedly already made a down payment to the North Koreans.

“Hamas is looking for ways to replenish its stocks of missiles because of the large numbers it has fired at Israel in recent weeks,” explained a security official. “North Korea is an obvious place to seek supplies because Pyongyang already has close ties with a number of militant Islamist groups in the Middle East.”
Using intermediaries based in Lebanon, Hamas officials are said to be intensifying their efforts to sign a new agreement with Pyongyang to provide hundreds of missiles together with communications equipment that will improve the ability of Hamas fighters to coordinate operations against Israeli forces.

Coughlin observed, “Like other Islamist terror groups in the region such as Hizbollah, Hamas has forged close links with North Korea, which is keen to support groups that are opposed to Western interests in the region.”

The relationship between Hamas and North Korea was exposed when a plane with arms, including “surface-to-surface rockets and rocket-propelled grenades,” was forced to land in Thailand on its way to Iran. Israeli military officials believe that North Korea may have played a role in helping Hamas dig its terror tunnels.

Last week a federal court found North Korea liable for aiding Hezbollah in 2006.

[Photo: ARIRANG NEWS / YouTube ]