[News] Hamas makes military history: Experts

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Hamas makes military history: Experts

Despite killing tens of thousands of civilians, Israel has not been able to
defeat Hamas or achieve its objectives in Gaza

News Desk <https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9>

APR 10, 2024 -
https://thecradle.co/articles/hamas-makes-military-history-experts
(Photo credit: Sky News)

After six months of brutal fighting and the withdrawal of the Israeli army
from the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, multiple Israeli and western
commentators have argued that Hamas is winning the war and making military
history in the process.

Sir Tom Phillips, a former British diplomat who served as Ambassador to
Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wrote
<https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-04-09/ty-article/.premium/has-hamas-won/0000018e-c21d-d1b7-a3af-e71f0f590000>
on
9 April in *Haaretz *that Hamas had succeeded in its objective of
"obtaining the release of as many Palestinians held in Israeli prisons as
possible, and of re-asserting themselves as a force to be reckoned with."

He added that Hamas had survived "the IDF onslaught for longer than any war
Israel has ever fought" and in "doing so, they have thoroughly dented
Israel's much vaunted deterrent status. In brief, and with daunting
potential long-term consequences for Israel, the IDF no longer looks
invincible."

Hamas has blocked a potential normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and
Israel, which looked inevitable before the war began on 7 October, and put
the Palestinian issue "back squarely on the international map" after years
of the Palestinian Authority (PA) failing to do so.

A final victory for Hamas, Phillip notes, is the “head-spinning speed of
Israel's post-October 7 delegitimization in the eyes of many in the world.”

On 8 April, Israeli journalist Amos Harel similarly wrote
<https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-08/ty-article/.premium/one-step-away-from-victory-as-israels-soldiers-march-out-of-southern-gaza-really/0000018e-b9ef-df26-a99e-f9ffd03f0000#selection-1421.0-1421.120>
 in* Haaretz *that Israel's primary goals in Khan Yunis "haven't been
achieved."

Following the withdrawal of the 98th Division from the southern Gaza city,
Harel noted that the Israeli army's “two goals were the capture of top
Hamas officials in Gaza and the rescue of the Israeli captives currently
held by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.”

"The public should be told the truth: The enormous death and destruction
the IDF is leaving behind in Gaza, alongside quite a few losses on our
side, aren't currently bringing us any closer to achieving the war's
goals," he concluded.

In an analysis <https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/yokra13875990> in *Yedioth
Ahronoth*, Israeli political analyst Nadav Eyal explained that Israel had
wished to restore its power of deterrence, eliminate Hamas, and free the
captives held by Hamas in Gaza. But none of these objectives have been
achieved.

"Israel's failure is not based on presenting the goals of the war – which
were fully supported by all Western countries. The failure lies entirely in
the execution," Eyal wrote, adding that "war is not won just by killing. A
complementary political act is needed."

The first failure, according to the report, was "the civilian suffering in
Gaza."

"Those who want to overthrow the rule of Hamas in Gaza do not conduct a
Roman-style revenge campaign, carry out a protective wall or retaliatory
action as if it were the 1950s."

The Israeli commentator also blamed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for
his attitude towards Washington. "Netanyahu's public and evil confrontation
with the Biden administration only emphasized Israel's weakness," he said.

Eyal also noted that Israel had become isolated in the international
community and that even its allies in Washington and Brussels were
beginning to turn against it.

"Not only has (Israel) lost support in most of the West, and is very close
to an arms embargo from Europe, even among its great ally, the tectonic
plates are in motion."

On 27 March, Israeli intelligence officials also noted the change in
Washington. They told
<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/27/israeli-intelligence-admits-may-not-destroy-hamas/>
 *The Telegraph* that the Israeli government's stated goal to "eradicate
Hamas" in the Gaza Strip has become unachievable after the US "turned its
back" on Tel Aviv by abstaining during a UN Security Council (UNSC) vote
earlier in the week.

"If you'd asked me this a month ago, I would definitely say yes [we can
eliminate Hamas] because, at that time, the Americans were backing Israel,"
an Israeli intelligence official told the British daily, reportedly
suggesting this assessment "had now changed."

"The US doesn't support going into Rafah, which they did before, so the
cards right now are not good, meaning Israel has to do something dramatic
and drastic to change the momentum and climate," the source added,
highlighting that "pressure is mounting on Israel to reach some sort of a
deal, which means Hamas could survive. Both Hamas and the Iranians are
playing on that."

According to the official, the belief inside the Israeli security apparatus
is that Hamas is "focused on surviving until the summer," when the US
election campaign will go into full gear.

Speaking on the Turkish channel Haber Global, military analyst and retired
colonel Eray Gucuer also suggested Hamas is winning the war while
discussing the Israeli withdrawal from Khan Yunis ahead of a presumed
assault on Rafah.

"If the Israeli army really is in a situation where it could not attack
Rafah except by withdrawing its brigade from Khan Yunis, this means that it
effectively lost the ground war."

"Israel, in this war, almost completely destroyed Gaza and killed thousands
of civilians. However, the Qassam Brigades still exist. Until this moment,
it has military superiority on the ground … no one with military experience
can hide his admiration for the amazing tactics adopted by Al-Qassam...
Indeed, they are writing history."

"Imagine, since the beginning of the war in Gaza and until today, we still
hear about Beit Hanoun and Ben Lahia, Al-Nasr neighborhood, and Al-Zaytoun
neighborhood. Why? Because the Qassam operatives invented a tactic for the
first time in my life that I have seen in the history of guerrilla wars,"
he concluded.
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