Hamas Remains Potent Threat Three Years After October 7 Attacks

Nearly three years after the October 7th massacre, Hamas has sustained significant damage but remains far from defeated. Recent footage from a Hamas militant's funeral in Gaza showed dozens of armed fighters, some apparently Hamas members, openly participating. Estimates suggest the organization still possesses between 25,000 and 30,000 fighters.

Hamas continues to maintain its tunnel infrastructure, produce rockets in areas not yet entered by the IDF, and preserve weapon stockpiles by distributing arms to affiliated residents. Smuggling of weapons via drones from Egypt also persists, though the scale of these operations is unknown. The overall picture indicates an organization that, while wounded, retains personnel, infrastructure, and the capacity for rearmament.

The "October Council," a group critical of the government's handling of the conflict, condemned Hamas's continued strengthening. "Three years in which we were promised that Hamas would be dismantled, that the threat would be removed, and that what was, would be no more," the council stated, calling for the disclosure of protocols, decisions, and warnings related to the war and efforts to prevent Hamas's rebuilding.