IDF assesses Hamas defeated militarily in all of Gaza, is now a guerrilla terror group
Army says at least half of organization’s operatives have been killed in the war
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces assessed on Friday that Hamas has been largely defeated militarily in the entire Gaza Strip, and it is now effectively a guerrilla terror group that will take some more time to dismantle.
Hamas is not the same organization it was pre-October 7, in terms of its command and control, weapons, rockets, and operatives, at least half of whom have been killed, according to the military.
The IDF has labeled dismantling Hamas as the most important war goal in the south, but returning the hostages is a more urgent goal and it is receiving priority.
“If we wait, it is not certain that there will be anyone to return,” the military is saying.
According to the IDF, before October 7, Hamas had some 30,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip, split into five regional brigades, 24 battalions and some 140 companies.
Each Hamas brigade had an anti-tank missile array, sniper and engineering teams, air defenses, and a rocket firing array, the IDF has said. Each brigade also had a number of outposts and strongholds in their respective regions.
The units have been systematically dismantled by the military over the long months of war.
The ongoing war began on October 7 when Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern communities, slaughtering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.
Israel launched its military operation, which has stretched for over 11 months, aiming to eliminate Hamas and bring back those kidnapped. In recent days, the military’s focus has shifted north to Lebanon, as Israel began a sustained offensive against Hezbollah’s missile capabilities.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 41,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 17,000 combatants in battle and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gazans as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 348.
