The defense establishment is concerned that Hamas has been able to identify when senior officials and IDF officers are visiting Israeli communities in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip.



On several recent occasions, the organization has fired rockets and mortar shells at kibbutzim in the area exactly when they were being visited by high-ranking officials.



The death of Daniel Trageman, the four-year-old boy from Kibbutz Nahal Oz who was killed by a mortar shell on Friday, coincided with a visit to the kibbutz by Chief of Staff Benny Gants.



On Saturday, mortar fire was directed at the kibbutz during a visit by GOC Southern Command Sammi Turgeman.



A planned visit to the kibbutz on Saturday by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon was cancelled at the last minute after security agents preparing for the visit came under fire. Ya'alon had previously visited other kibbutzim in the area.



Senior IDF officers said that Hamas keeps a close watch on all military activity in the vicinity of the border fence. Visits to local communities by senior officials are usually preceded by enhanced movement of security personnel and military traffic – activity that could be visible to Hamas.



Another possibility is that some of the WhatsApp messages that are circulated to journalists, security personnel and other involved parties have somehow been leaked to Hamas in recent days.



Security sources told Haaretz that the concern that Hamas has been able to discern official visits could alter the holding of the visits or the security measures taken in the future. Hamas is interested in striking at a prominent Israeli in order to raise morale and avenge Israeli assassinations of senior Hamas officials.

