Israel officer: ‘Hamas cannot be eliminated, neither now nor in the future’

Retired Israeli army officer Ahron Bregman has asserted that Hamas cannot be overthrown, neither now nor in the future.

According to a report by US newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Israel’s withdrawal of thousands of soldiers from Gaza after pressure from the US raised concerns among some Israeli officials about this leaving the country “vulnerable to another surge in militant activity.”

It noted that these fears increased after the withdrawal of the 36th Division from the Gaza Strip earlier this week, which was followed by a barrage of rockets being fired from central Gaza, where the Division was operating.

Currently, three teams are working in the Gaza Strip: in the north, centre and south areas. According to Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari, the largest deployment is in the Hamas stronghold in the southern Gaza Strip, specifically in Khan Yunis.

Retired Israeli General Giora Eiland stated that Israel’s: “Shift in tactics will enable more civilians, and militants along with them, to trickle back into northern Gaza. We paid a very high price for something that is going to have no meaning in a short time.”

Bregman, a professor of political science at King’s College in London and a former Israeli army officer, remarked: “Short of an all-out victory over Hamas, Israel may have to satisfy itself with less ambitious war aims.”

He pointed out: “Even though Israel would never officially admit it, the aim of toppling Hamas can’t be achieved, neither now nor in the future.”

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