Hamas Still Boasts 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, 2023. The organization is reportedly continuing recruitment and transferring weapons to civilian areas. Israeli authorities remain concerned about Hamas's intent and ability to conduct attacks, even with reduced capabilities, and are focused on assessing its capacity to sustain and rebuild its forces.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hamas reportedly retains approximately 30,000 fighters in Gaza despite military setbacks.
- An Israeli official cited the ongoing threat posed by Hamas's intent and means to attack.
- Hamas is allegedly continuing recruitment and transferring weapons to civilian infrastructure.
- Israeli authorities acknowledge Hamas's operational capabilities are significantly degraded since October 7.
- The assessment of Hamas's threat considers both its reduced 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 continuing its recruitment efforts to replenish its ranks and is transferring 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 assessing the threat posed by Hamas cannot solely rely on the number of 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 severely 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, it still constitutes a sufficiently serious threat," the official explained. This perspective highlights a major concern: a militarily weakened Hamas could still possess the will and means to carry out attacks against Israeli forces. The alleged continuation of recruitment and weapons transfers reinforces this worry. Therefore, Israeli officials are focused not only on measuring Hamas's losses but also on evaluating its capacity to sustain military activities and gradually rebuild its forces.
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