Israeli analysts are saying that Hamas is making a substantial comeback in Gaza in its fight against the Israeli occupiers.
The Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 reported on Wednesday that Hamas is recruiting new forces from Palestinian Islamic Jihad and is now comprised of between 20,000-23,000 fighters.
The IDF had publicised that it has killed between 17,000-20,000 Hamas and PIJ fighters throughout the war and that between 14,000-16,000 Hamas fighters had been wounded.
The Jerusalem Post said this means that there were probably around 40,000 Hamas fighters at the beginning of the war, with many remaining from the original force and thousands of new recruits.
Israel has admitted to 562 soldiers being killed in Gaza since it launched its ground invasion in late October 2023. Media reports suggest thousands have also been injured, while there is also speculation that Israel is deliberately underestimating these figures.
Meanwhile, according to Israeli analyst Avi Issacharoff, Hamas shows no signs of surrender in Gaza and has “learned to shift to guerrilla warfare” in the region.
In an analytical article for the daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday, Issacharoff explained: “The Israeli army’s 162nd Division is operating in northern Gaza, including the Jabalia refugee camp, in an attempt to destroy Hamas’s infrastructure there.”
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“The big problem is that, to do this, you need to strike every house suspected of containing tunnels or hostile activity,” he added.
Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in Jabalia over three months ago, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroying many buildings, and causing thousands of casualties.
Palestinians accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area, turn it into a buffer zone, and force residents to flee through relentless bombardment and a strict siege, depriving them of food, water and medicine.
Issacharoff noted that it is hard to see an end to this war with months of fighting ahead to control just northern Gaza.
Also, the cost in terms of casualties, particularly soldiers, is significant, and Hamas shows no signs of surrender, he added.
The analyst emphasised that Hamas has learned to adapt to guerrilla warfare in all aspects, operating in a destroyed area where the Israeli army deploys far larger forces.
Issacharoff stated that as long as there is no alternative governance in Gaza, Hamas will continue to restore its strength in all areas of the enclave.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,500 victims, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
