[News] Israeli report admits Hamas resilience despite ongoing assault on Gaza

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-report-admits-hamas-resilience-despite-ongoing-assau>
Israeli report admits Hamas resilience despite ongoing assault on Gaza
Al Mayadeen English
May 28, 2025
------------------------------

Israeli analyst Amir Bohbot reports that after 600 days of war, Hamas
remains firmly entrenched, rebuilding its ranks and retaining popular
support despite devastating Israeli attacks, while cracks appear in
"Israel's" military strategy, morale, and internal cohesion.

   - [image: AP]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/5/28/d5ba12e0-5527-48c5-abe4-e1d6e068e3f3.jpg?width=1000>
   A Palestinian boy wears a mask with a picture of Abu Obeida, the spokesman
   for the Qassam Brigades, the Hamas' military wing, during a protest to
   condemn "Israel's" war on Gaza, on Beirut's corniche, Lebanon, Monday,
   April 7, 2025 (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Israeli military affairs analyst Amir Bohbot, writing for the Israeli news
site *Walla! *on Wednesday, acknowledged that Hamas remains resilient and
continues to rebuild its capabilities, even after 600 days of relentless
Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. What the Israeli military envisioned
as a swift campaign has now evolved into a drawn-out and unresolved war
that has failed to achieve its strategic goals.

According to Bohbot, not only has Hamas maintained its presence, but it is
actively working to restore its military infrastructure and reinforce its
political structure in the Strip. This comes amid reported Israeli efforts
to circumvent Hamas's governance through so-called humanitarian initiatives
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-backed-gaza-aid-plan-relies-on-mercenaries--sparks-outcry>,
including direct aid distribution, seen by many as an attempt to fragment
Palestinian civil society and impose alternative authority.
Unbroken Resolve

Despite unprecedented destruction, tens of thousands of deaths, and severe
suffering inflicted on Gaza's civilian population, Hamas has not backed
down from its core demand: a full cessation of hostilities as a
prerequisite for the release of 58 Israeli captives, with binding
international guarantees. Meanwhile, Israeli hopes that aid manipulation
and military occupation might weaken Palestinian resistance have yet to
materialize.

Bohbot notes that the Israeli army still views Hamas through outdated
institutional lenses, evaluating it by traditional governance and military
metrics, while the movement continues to adapt, preserving its fighters and
weapons, and operating both within and beyond Gaza. The article reflects a
growing recognition in Israeli military circles that the real center of
gravity lies in the Palestinian people themselves, who continue to support
Hamas as an expression of steadfastness in the face of siege and
occupation. "As long as the connection between Hamas and the street is not
broken, there will be no real internal collapse," Bohbot cites from Israeli
General Staff assessments.
Strategic Shortcomings

The report goes further to admit that Hamas's power stems not from
conventional command structures, but from deep societal bonds, ideological
commitment, and popular legitimacy
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-growing-more-favorable-among-palestinians-amid-war>.
"There is no vacuum in the Gaza Strip. Hamas's fanaticism fills the ranks,"
a senior Israeli defense official was quoted as saying in a closed forum.
The movement, the report notes, is recruiting thousands of new members,
appointing commanders, and distributing leadership roles, ensuring
continuity despite constant bombardment.

*Read more: Hamas recruited 10,000+ fighters during 15-month war with
'Israel'
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-recruited-10-000--fighters-during-15-month-war-with--i>*

Bohbot also points to internal failures within "Israel's" security
establishment, raising the question of why Israeli operations in the south
have not matched the scale and coordination seen in past campaigns against
Hezbollah in the north. While previous offensives drew global attention,
the Gaza campaign has exposed limits in Israeli military strategy and deep
vulnerabilities
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-recalling-ptsd-affected-troops-amid-suicide--recruitment>
within its southern command.
Enduring Resistance

As the Israeli occupation forces push to expand control over three-quarters
of Gaza and implement politically motivated aid distribution schemes, some
in the military reportedly believe Hamas may retain captives as a last
bargaining chip for political survival. Meanwhile, cracks are appearing
inside "Israel" itself, questions are surfacing about the morale of reserve
troops, the strain on the economy, and the growing number of career
soldiers abandoning the military.

Bohbot ends the piece by noting that, "If diplomatic efforts, especially
the American attempt to advance negotiations, fail, the Israeli army will
be compelled to increase the pace and intensity of fighting to achieve new
gains." Yet after 600 days of siege, bombardment, and collective
punishment, it is clear that the will of the Palestinian resistance remains
unbroken, and the people of Gaza continue to stand as the primary source of
that resilience.

*Read more: Hamas accepts US proposal for Gaza ceasefire deal
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-accepts-us-proposal-for-gaza-ceasefire-deal>*
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