| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel is winning in Gaza |
| 2026-06-05 |
Text: Israel Is Winning in Gaza by Hugh Fitzgerald While there are those who claim Israel “has not won” its war against Hamas in Gaza, the inability of Hamas to launch more than a handful of missiles and drones, almost all of them either intercepted or fallen harmlessly in open fields, Israel’s seizure of ever more of Gaza’s territory testifies to Hamas’ terminal weakness. It is Israel, not Hamas, that is winning in Gaza. It has inexorably taken over more and more of the Strip’s territory, now 65%, and soon to be 70% of the total. Out of an estimated initial total of 400 miles of Hamas tunnels, the IDF has destroyed at least 150 miles. With each passing day, the IDF locates more, and destroys more, of the tunnel network. On October 7, 2023, the IDF estimates that Hamas had 40,000 men under arms in Gaza. Since then, the IDF estimates it has killed at least 25,000 of them. Hamas has managed to recruit an estimated 5,000 new recruits during the war, which leaves it with a total of 20,000, that is only half as many men as it had before October 7. By any measure, Hamas is losing badly. And inside Gaza, anti-Hamas militias have sprung up to keep their own neighborhoods free of Hamas and therefore, they hope, free of IDF attacks. There are four of these militias: first, the Popular Forces, with some 700 fighters, who operate in eastern Rafah and Khan Yunis; second, the Al-Astal Militia, who operate around Qizal al-Najjar in the Khan Yunis governorate; third, the Popular Army (Northern branch), that operates out of northern Gaza; fourth, Rami Helles’ Militia, operating in the eastern areas of Gaza City. Hamas has issued threats to these militias to disband and join Hamas, but so far it has been afraid to take any of them on. More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |