Israel fell short of its goal of quickly eliminating Hamas because it killed only 20% to 30% of its estimated 30,000 terrorist militants, according to US intelligence.
More than three months into the war that devastated Gaza, Hamas maintains the majority of its fighting forces with enough ammunition to continue firing at Israeli and IDF soldiers for months, officials told the Wall Street Journal.
The estimate comes amid IDF claims that some 9,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed since the start of the war, including about 1,000 during the October 7 massacre that killed more than 1,200 Israelis.
The US estimates that Hamas has between 25,000 and 30,000 members, a more conservative estimate than Israel, which pegs the terrorist’s fighting strength at 30,000 or more.
The US also disputed Israeli claims that as many as 16,000 Hamas fighters had been wounded in the fighting, with about half too badly injured to return to the front lines.
American officials estimate that only 10,500 to 11,700 terrorists have been wounded, with many of them eventually returning to fight, the Journal reported.
Some 163 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes last week during a series of shootings over a 24-hour period. Xinhua/Shutterstock The IDF has begun withdrawing soldiers from Gaza, but Hamas terrorists have resumed operations in previously cleared areas. AP
The IDF declined to comment on the American figure. Hamas has yet to comment, but the group has often denied that it has suffered heavy losses in the war.
Estimates from intelligence officials raise questions about the feasibility of Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas and concerns over the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza.
The death toll has now exceeded 25,000, with most believed to be women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
The death toll in Gaza has exceeded 25,000, with the IDF estimating that it has killed 9,000 Hamas fighters. Xinhua/Shutterstock
With the updated figures, the ratio appears similar to last month’s estimate in which the Israeli military admitted that about two civilians had been killed for every Hamas terrorist killed in Gaza, a ratio labeled by an IDF spokesman as “very positive.”
The IDF has assessed that the war is likely to continue through 2024 as it works to dismantle Hamas operations in Gaza and free more than 130 Israeli hostages still in captivity.
Following the victory in northern Gaza and pressure from the US to reduce the war effort, Israel has also begun withdrawing some soldiers from the Palestinian territories for training and rest.
Palestinians search for survivors in the southern city of Rafah after an IDF airstrike on Wednesday. Xinhua/Shutterstock
But because Hamas forces are likely to remain strong throughout the region, the US has warned that Israel will continue to see the terror group resurgent in northern and central Gaza.
Such incidents have already occurred, with the IDF reporting rocket fire from central Gaza earlier this week, just days after Israeli forces cleared most of the area.
Similar attacks have taken place in the north, where the Israeli army has previously touted that Hamas has lost “operational control,” with the IDF focusing on the south since December.
This highlights the concerns of some Israeli officials who have warned that despite the IDF’s advances in Gaza, Hamas will continue to return and try to reassert itself in areas where Israel has either abandoned or reduced its forces.
Despite criticism from his own war cabinet over the direction of the fighting in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Thursday that fighting will continue until the Islamist militant group is crushed.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
