Israel’s attack on Hamas’ top leader weighed a new ceasefire proposal in Qatar. This was the latest in a series of shocking and unprecedented measures they took to beat extremist groups. All of these have failed so far.
Hamas says its top leader Survives Tuesday’s strikehowever, it does not provide evidence and is firmly thinned after past assassinations. But even if the strike is successful, it will not spell the end of Hamas. Hamas survived two years of war and holds around 20 living hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Nor are they reason to believe in Israel’s latest attacks. We aim to take over Gaza citybrings the “complete victory” that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised since Hamas’ attacks sparked the war on October 7, 2023.
It is part of Hamas’ ability to blend into the population and resurface later.
But it is also from the goal stated by Israel It’s not just about defeating Hamasbut disarming it and making it never reconstruct itself comes into many people. Former Israeli security guard – To be a recipe for endless war and professions.
Hamas has overcome an incredible loss
Almost everything about Hamas’ top leaders In Gaza, thousands of fighter jets were killed in one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns since World War II. If there were no more rockets in range, the government was barely present and its police were almost wiped out. Iran and other regional allies It was also hit hard.
However, according to the Israeli military, Hamas still has thousands of fighter jets. It is held Some general support. And it has hostages.
Meanwhile, Israel’s tactical benefits cost Palestinian civilians a huge amount of money. Tens of thousands have been killed, A vast area has been destroyed and Hunger in Gaza City. They also left Israel more isolated on the world stage than ever before, and the strike against Qatar deepened its sense, Even among friendly Arab countriesIsrael is a threat to the region.
That isolation could bring some comfort to the stakeholder members of Hamas within Hamas Gaza. There, the government has been running since it took power in 2007, and its security forces have melted away.
The government and police have collapsed
Israel currently controls 75% of its territory, many of which have been reduced to tiled rub fields, and says it has vowed to take the rest. Hamas is primarily confined to the same enclave where Gaza’s approximately 2 million Palestinian population is seeking refuge.
The rest of Gaza was under the control of strong local families and armed groups – at least one Supported by Israel.
Nahed Shehaiber, director of Gaza’s private truck drivers’ association, said Hamas police are still part of Gaza city, which is part of Gaza city, and are building refugee camps in central Gaza.
“They will raid against looters, burglars, and merchants who steal people’s food,” he said. He denied Israel’s claim that Hamas was behind the frequent looting of aid trucks.
The AP spoke to two civil servants. He said the Hamas-run government still paid partial salaries of around $200-300 a month. They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
Saeed Abu Elish, a medic at Jabaraya refugee camp, said the Ministry of Health and civil defense is still partially functioning, but there are few others. Most public services are provided by UN agencies and international aid groups.
Hit and Run Attack
Around 50 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since March, mainly due to hit-and-run attacks and explosive booby traps. On Monday, a bomb was thrown into a tank in Gaza city, killing four soldiers, the military said.
Around 450 Israeli troops have been killed since Gaza’s first ground invasion in October 2023. Further losses could erode support for the war in Israel. There are already massive protests They ask for a deal with Hamas to free the hostages.
Israeli forces believe Hamas had up to 35,000 fighters before the war, and say it killed more than 20,000 people. Hamas has not commented on the loss.
However, in January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US believes the US recruited as many fighter jets as Hamas lost.
Two Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the security situation in Gaza about their country’s close surveillance, and estimate that Hamas and other armed groups are recruiting thousands of fighter jets and are often tusping as harvesting misfire ordnances from Israeli strikes.
The cells of three to five extremists operate almost independently, Hamas officials said they will discuss the secret armed wings on condition of anonymity. The hostage-holding unit is instructed to trap booby and wear an explosive vest. If Israeli forces appeared, they began to explode, officials said.
Hamas’ armed wings are led by veteran commander Ezedin Al Haddad in Gaza. It is the armed wings that are likely to hold hostages and have the last words about their release, rather than the exiled leaders negotiating in Doha.
Once Hamas survives, it can be rebuilt
Hamas may only control about a quarter of Gaza, but where is most of the population, says Kobi Michael, an Israeli researcher at the National Security Institute and Misgav Institute.
“As long as the people of Gaza believe Hamas is a future governance option, they will not support other alternatives,” he said. “Hamas doesn’t play games.”
Hamas is willing to hand over his strength to other Palestinians. I won’t put that arm. They threatened and killed Palestinians who worked with the Israeli army.
Israel can ultimately repeat the attack on October 7, fearing a ceasefire that will arm Hamas and leave it as is. Netanyahu says the only solution is for Israel to maintain unlimited security controls while delegating the private regime to others.
But even so, lasting victory can prove elusive.
Hamas emerged in the late 1980s when Israel ruled Gaza. It became even stronger as Israel handed over the private regime to rival Palestinian authorities in the mid-1990s. In 2005, the military and settlers were withdrawn..
Its ideology is likely to survive multiple leaders and countless other set-off deaths and remain strong Israel occupying the land Palestinians want a future nation.
“Hamas is degraded as an authority,” said Ahmed Daar, a teacher at a school in northern Gaza. “But it’s not over. As long as Israeli occupation exists, it exists.”
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