Pointing to ISIS, al-Qaeda, US says it’s likely impossible to completely eliminate Hamas

The White House says it believes Israel can dramatically reduce the threat from Hamas, but that eliminating the group and its ideology is likely impossible.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby points to the US efforts to disrupt al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, a day after Biden said Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza would only end once the militant group was no longer a threat.

“What we have learned through our own experiences, that that military and other means you can absolutely have a significant impact on terrorist groups ability to resource itself, to train fighters, to recruit fighters, to plan to execute attacks,” Kirby tells reporters. “And look at the shadow of itself that ISIS is right now, look at the shadow of itself al-Qaeda is right now.”

“It doesn’t mean that the ideology withers away and die,” Kirby adds.