[News] Hamas replenishes ranks in Gaza with thousands of new fighters

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Hamas replenishes ranks in Gaza with thousands of new fighters

Recent days have seen fierce clashes reignite between Israeli troops and
Palestinian resistance fighters in the besieged northern Gaza

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

DEC 18, 2024 -
https://thecradle.co/articles/hamas-replenishes-ranks-in-gaza-with-thousands-of-new-fighters-report
(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has recruited thousands of new
resistance fighters into its ranks in the Gaza Strip and is adapting to the
harsh conditions it faces in battles with Israeli troops, who continue to
suffer from exhaustion and mental disorders, according to Hebrew reports on
18 December.

“Hamas has recruited some 4,000 new operatives for the military wing in
recent months,” Israeli news site *Walla* reported
<https://news.walla.co.il/item/3712475> on Wednesday, citing sources in the
military’s southern command.

“They continue to operate in an unusual manner in terms of methods of
operation against the [army] … In some places Hamas has adapted itself to
fighting against the forces in the southern Gaza Strip,” the sources added.

The report adds that throughout the war, Qassam Brigades fighters have been
able to evade intelligence and foiling operations.

Mohammad Sinwar, Qassam Brigades military leader and brother of late Hamas
chief Yahya Sinwar, and commander Izz al-Din Haddad are the two leaders
directing the Palestinian resistance group’s operations, according to the
news site. “They have been very careful not to expose themselves.”

Recent days have seen a reignition of fierce battles in Gaza as Hamas’
military wing rebuilds its ranks.

A Qassam Brigades statement released on Wednesday said a resistance fighter
managed to kill an Israeli soldier near his tank and seize his weapon
before throwing two grenades into the Merkava. The operation took place in
the northern city of Beit Lahia.

The group also announced targeting an Israeli troop carrier with an
explosive device and killing five soldiers “point blank” in north Gaza’s
Jabalia.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army is exhausted, depleted, and psychologically
damaged by the war that has been ongoing for over a year, and fierce ground
battles.

“The army estimates that by 2030, the number of disabled soldiers will
reach 100,000, with 60 percent expected to suffer from mental disorders,”
Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported
<https://t.me/thecradlemedia/26727> on Wednesday.

More and more soldiers are also refusing to serve in the army. Many are
depressed, worn out, psychologically damaged, and unmotivated, according
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27360> to a report by *Ha-Makom* magazine
published on 20 October.

One parent of a soldier cited in the *Ha-Makom* report said that, according
to her son, “The wards are empty. Everyone who is not dead or injured is
mentally damaged. There are very few left who returned to fight. And
they're not quite right either.”

It remains unclear, until this point, how long it may take for the war to
end. While reports have indicated progress in recent ceasefire talks,
Israel has not come close to accepting Hamas’ terms for a full Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza. On the contrary, it appears that Israel is gearing up
for a long-term
<https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-army-will-not-leave-gaza-before-2026-report>
presence in the strip, according to Israeli media reports last month.

A new, three-stage truce and exchange proposal for Gaza is currently being
discussed in Qatar. A Palestinian negotiator told BBC
<https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80vdy9ex9xo> on Tuesday that the talks
are in their final stage.

“Hamas confirms that in light of the serious and positive discussions
taking place in Doha today under the auspices of the Qatari and Egyptian
mediator brothers, reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner
exchange is possible if [Israel] stops setting new conditions,” Hamas said
in a statement on 17 December.
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