Israel’s army is unable to eliminate Hamas, media reports

Israeli media have once again raised questions about the occupation army’s ability to dismantle Hamas after the group resumed firing rockets from northern Gaza.

Hamas has launched 20 rockets over the past 19 days, 14 of them from northern Gaza, according to Amir Bar-Shalom, the military correspondent for Israel Army Radio.

Bar-Shalom stated that the Israeli army “is no longer facing what was once called the Hamas army. It is now dealing with gangs and has reached a point where it cannot target every last fighter.”

This sentiment was shared by Michael Milstein, head of the Palestinian Studies Department at Tel Aviv University. Speaking to Channel 12, he said: “The army is now facing a second version of Hamas.”

Milstein explained that the movement has adapted, transitioning from battalions to small militant groups. “Anyone speaking of defeating Hamas must understand they will never reach the last fighter or the last cell,” he added.

Similarly, Yossi Yehoshua, a military affairs correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth, noted that Hamas “remains resilient, capable of recruiting more members, and enjoys support from nearly all Gaza residents, making it difficult to replace or eliminate them.”

READ: Palestinians will not surrender, says interim head of Hamas