Hamas 'develops dozens of highly explosive short-range rockets'

The militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, is said to have made rockets that can carry hundreds of kilograms of explosive material that are far beyond the capacities of other missiles it has.

According to the Army Radio report, the new rockets have a short range of a few kilometres but can carry an explosive capacity unlike anything seen before by Hamas.

The report described the rocket as "completely different than any weaponry we know from the direction of the Gaza Strip, regarding the weight of the explosive payload".

In future conflict between Israel and Hamas, the new rockets may effectively hit Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip, the report concludes.

Last week, Israel uncovered plans to evacuate up to a quarter-million civilians from border regions with the Gaza Strip in anticipation of a full-scale war with Hamas.

Israeli defence force official Itzik Bar Hamas too is preparing itself in case a new round of warfare breaks out with Israel.

In 2014, 50 days of fighting between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers killed an estimated 2,100 Palestinians and 77 Israelis, only six of which were civilians.

There was widespread devastation in Gaza and thousands of rockets and mortars fired by Hamas and other fighters at Israeli towns and cities.

However, several Hamas officials say the group does not seek a confrontation with Israel now, but that it has developed its arsenal and restored its capabilities to even greater amount than before the 2014 war.

Reports in Gaza suggest Hamas completed repairs to dozens of attack tunnels used to infiltrate Israel that were damaged in 2014.