As Israel and terror factions in Gaza mark the one year anniversary of the 2021 war known as Operation Guardian of the Walls, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been hard at work, preparing for the next cross-border conflict with the Jewish state.
The terror factions appear to be developing and perfecting new attack methods, including digging more tunnel, utilizing the drone technology and expanding its naval capabilities.
Following the construction of subterranean Gaza barrier - built by the IDF to prevent breaches into Israel - Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have adjusted their tactics.
The newly dug tunnels that have been recently uncovered by the IDF reach the Israeli border, but don't cross it. In times of war, Hamas hopes to emerge out of the tunnels on the Gazan side, close by to the partition fence, and then break through it.
The terror groups are also examining ways to break through the underground barrier, but have so far not succeeded to do so without setting off alarms of the Israeli military.
Additionally, Hamas has added around 1,000 rockets to its existing arsenal, since the end of Operation Guardian of the Walls last year. In relation to the time period it was done in, this pace of rocket production is not fast, and has been slowed down more so by Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip.
However, Hamas is beginning to focus on quality of the projectiles it manufactures rather than quantity, improving the range capabilities and accuracy. The Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, is concentrating its resources on readying the rockets for launching and improving their engines.
Hamas' military branch has also been working on boosting its arsenal of drones after the terror group's recent attempts to launch UAVs into Israeli territory have failed.
At the start of the 2021 war, the IDF bombed a Hamas' research facility in which elite officials and engineers, specializing in rockets and missiles, were taken down. Hamas' specialized team of drone professionals were unharmed, hence their attempts at advancements in the field has continued.
Throughout the year, Hamas has also set into motion naval and land smuggling operations through the Gaza-Egypt border by disguising their cargo to look like civilian shipments. Hamas is utilizing the shipments to manufacture larger and stronger engines for boats used by its naval commando, and assemble explosive vessels.
As part of its military preparation, Hamas is collecting intelligence on Israeli defense systems, such as the Iron Dome, and sharing it with its allies outside of the Gaza Strip, chief among them - Iran.