New York: According to a recent report, the United States believes Israel has reached the limits of its military capabilities against Hamas, and that diplomacy is now the key to advancing the situation.
Following Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, and the involvement of allied terrorist groups, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a war against Hamas. The primary goals were to defeat the group entirely and secure the return of hostages taken during the attacks.
On October 7, the terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people, injured around 5,400, and abducted around 250 individuals, taking them to the Gaza Strip as hostages. Since then, over 30,000 people have died in Gaza, with Hamas-run local authorities claiming deaths could be as high as 40,000. In May, Netanyahu confirmed the deaths of at least 14,000 terrorists and 16,000 civilians in Gaza.
The Biden administration now assesses that Israel has significantly weakened Hamas’ military capabilities and largely dismantled Gaza’s tunnel network. According to The New York Times, US officials believe that the remaining goal of securing the return of hostages can only be achieved through diplomatic means, not military action.
This assessment comes as “now or never” negotiations are taking place in Doha, Qatar, aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the release of hostages. Despite complications from new demands by Netanyahu and a Hamas boycott, the Biden administration remains optimistic about reaching a positive outcome.
US Assessment: Hamas Severely Weakened but Not Completely Defeated
The United States’ view aligns with recent reports that while Israel has severely diminished Hamas’ operational capacity, the complete defeat of the group remains elusive. Much of Hamas’ tunnel network in Gaza, estimated to be between 560 and 740 kilometers long, remains intact despite significant Israeli destruction efforts. For perspective, this network is longer than the entire Delhi Metro system, which spans 392 kilometers.
US officials noted that Israel has exceeded expectations in its campaign against Hamas. In addition to driving Hamas out of most of Gaza, Israel has destroyed or seized crucial supply routes from Egypt, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. Israel also claims to have eliminated half of Hamas’ top leaders, including military chief Mohammed Deif, and has faced accusations from Iran and Hamas of assassinating former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
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The military campaign has reached its peak, with further progress toward achieving the war’s remaining objectives, particularly hostage recovery, now reliant on diplomatic efforts, according to US officials.
US officials believe that Hamas no longer has the capability to plan or execute attacks on the scale of the October 7 assault.
Israeli Military’s Perspective: Ideological Nature of Hamas
The US assessment is consistent with statements made by the Israeli military in June. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari remarked that Hamas is an ideology, and ideologies cannot be completely eradicated.
“To say that we are going to make Hamas disappear is to throw sand in people’s eyes. If we don’t provide an alternative, in the end, we will have Hamas. Hamas is an ideology; we cannot eliminate an ideology,” Hagari told Israel’s Channel 13.
Hamas, initially part of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist movement with roots in Egypt, is supported by Iran and shares its stance against Israel’s right to exist. It is allied with other Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, forming the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance.’
