WASHINGTON, October 7. /TASS/. The US intelligence services are facing difficulties in obtaining intelligence data concerning the Palestinian radical movement Hamas, as well as its plans and goals, Politico reported, citing sources.

"The US has increased its intelligence-gathering in the Gaza Strip since it was caught off guard by the October 7 attack on Israel. But gaps remain on the very type of intelligence that could be essential to finding a path to ending the conflict," the newspaper pointed out.

"One year after the attack, US intelligence agencies are still struggling to understand the inner political dynamics of the Hamas militant group, whether it’s ready for a ceasefire agreement and its longer-term aspirations for Gaza — all questions that policymakers need to answer as they scramble to avoid a full-scale regional war," Politico emphasized. "For decades, US administrations chose not to prioritize intelligence collection and analysis on Gaza and Hamas. Despite the improvements, one year isn’t enough time to make up for that," the newspaper said.

According to its sources, "since the October 7 attack, the [US President Joe] Biden administration has continued to prioritize intelligence gathering on other foreign crises, including the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the war in Ukraine and threats from China."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 250 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as retaliation for the aggressive actions taken by Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the crisis, launching air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria before starting a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave.