Hamas Maintains 30,000 Fighters in Gaza Despite Military Weakening, Israeli Official Says
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
An Israeli official estimates that Hamas still has around 30,000 fighters in Gaza, despite significant military weakening since October 7. The organization is reportedly continuing recruitment and transferring weapons to civilian areas. Israeli security authorities remain concerned about Hamas's intent and capacity to attack, even with reduced capabilities.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hamas reportedly maintains 30,000 fighters in Gaza despite military setbacks, according to an Israeli official.
- The organization is allegedly continuing recruitment and transferring weapons to civilian infrastructure.
- Israeli security officials express serious concern over Hamas's intent and capacity for future attacks.
- Hamas's operational capabilities have been significantly degraded since the October 7 attacks.
- Israeli analysis now focuses on the distinction between Hamas's military capabilities and its intentions.
Despite significant degradation of its military capabilities, Hamas still maintains approximately 30,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli official. This assessment continues to cause serious concern among Israeli security authorities. The official stated that these 30,000 members of Hamas's armed wing remain deployed on the ground. The organization is reportedly also pursuing recruitment efforts to replenish its ranks and continues to transfer weapons to civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. These details, attributed to an official Israeli source, have not been independently verified.
Israeli officials emphasize that the threat posed by Hamas cannot be solely measured by the number of its fighters or the current state of its arsenal. The distinction between the organization's military capabilities and its intentions is now a central element of Israeli analysis. While acknowledging that Hamas's operational capabilities have been considerably degraded since before the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israeli authorities believe the danger has not disappeared.
"Even if its capabilities are no longer comparable to what they were before October 7, and even if it can now only attack IDF positions or harm soldiers, this still constitutes a sufficiently serious threat," the official explained. This perspective highlights a major concern: a militarily weakened Hamas could still retain the will and means to carry out attacks against Israeli forces. The alleged continuation of recruitment and arms transfers reinforces this worry. Therefore, Israeli officials believe the focus should not only be on measuring Hamas's losses but also on assessing its capacity to sustain military activities and gradually rebuild its strength.