Hamas terrorist organizations can be “militarily destroyed,” according to retired US Army majors and urban and underground war expert John Spencer.
Spencer analysis, Published by Newsweek Before Israel's new military attacks, Israel's past rejection of Hamas claims it ignores significant changes in political and military dynamics.
He explained that Israeli forces faced many constraints in the early stages of the war, including external political pressure, humanitarian concerns and the need to divert resources to protect Hezbollah and Iranian support forces.
However, he points out that the conditions on earth have changed.
Israel could launch new military operations, which could result in increased US political support, fewer operational restrictions and evacuation of civilians to neighboring countries. This is an option that President Trump proposes and an option that removes Hamas' ability to use civilians as human shields, one of its main defensive strategies.
As a result, Spencer, chairman of the West Point city battle, completely dismisses the claim that Hamas is not affected by military defeat.
The insistence that Hamas cannot be dismantled “not only misrepresents history, but also ignores the changing political and military realities of the battlefield,” he said, highlighting Israel's constraints over the past 16 months.
Spencer pointed to some major changes that changed the tide courtesy of Israel.
“The Biden administration and other international actors have imposed serious restrictions on the IDF. [Israel Defense Forces] He wrote that Israel faces heavy “outside political constraints,” he said.
These include withholding military aid, major Hamas locations like Rafa, unrealistic expectations for zero civilian casualties, and not frequent suspensions in the battle due to perceived humanitarian concerns than verified data within Gaza. The IDF was even forced to limit the scale of operations from the beginning of the war, extending conflict and reorganizing Hamas.
He also pointed to Hamas's now weakened state.
“Hamas is no longer a scary force at the onset of conflict,” he explained, noting that the operational focus of the IDF is not very involved with other aspects.
Hamas is no longer a terrible force at the beginning of the conflict. In October 2023, Hamas had a well-trained leadership with five brigades, 24 battalions, tens of thousands of rockets, an enhanced defense position, and decades of experience. Today Hamas is being broken down into a guerrilla army with reduced leadership, reduced firepower and limited ability to carry out large-scale projects. It's still dangerous, but Hamas never has a centralized command structure, heavy weapons, or defensive base.
With repeated changes to the new strategic battlefield, Spencer stressed the possibility of evacuating civilians from Gaza, saying Hamas had “abused” the previous situation under the Biden administration by “using humans and hostages as human shields and preventing the IDF from entering.”
Spencer also pointed to President Trump's clear stance on the issue, warning Hamas, after meeting with the released Israeli hostages in an oval office, freeing all prisoners and facing disastrous consequences. Pledge Israel's full military support states that the United States is “sending everything it needs to Israel to finish the job.”
According to Spencer, this could allow for the use of previously withheld US military supplies, including items released immediately after President Trump won reelection.
He pointed out that the next stage in Israel should focus on systematic liquidation operations rather than temporary invasions.
“The IDF must completely seize and clear the territory, rather than make short-term intrusions,” he wrote. “In particular, it was not until late 2024 that IDF began systematically clearing parts of northern Gaza, and it would need to expand across the strip.”
Spencer argues that “the constraints that once restricted Israel's ability to achieve this objective are changing,” and that Israel must “seize” before Hamas has the opportunity to rebuild.
“When Hamas is militarily neutralized, Israel must ensure that the group cannot reconstruct itself, like in past conflicts,” he said.
Therefore, he believes that Israel needs to maintain its presence in Gaza or establish alternative security forces to prevent Hamas from re-emerging.
“There's an opportunity. Israel and its allies have to grab it,” he concluded.
Hamas has long poses strategic and security threats to both Israel and the wider region. Spencer's argument reinforces the idea that a US-backed US under President Trump can finish what Israel started, preventing Hamas from surviving to fight another war. As political reality has been changed and the enemy has weakened, the chances of ultimately eliminating Hamas will be greater than ever.
Israel challenges the story that with full commitment and proper strategy, Spencer's conclusion is a force that Hamas cannot be destroyed.
Previously, Spencer Discussed Israeli military lessons learn from the battle against Hamas in Gaza aim to significantly improve US military preparations and “save American lives” amid the challenges of diverse modern warfare. He also highlighted the strategic importance of adapting such insights to enhance America's tactical responses and training protocols.
Last month, he Discussed It should be noted that reconstruction of Gaza would not be possible without the complete removal of Hamas, and that reconstruction efforts will be wasted if terrorist groups continue to control them.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video explaining why Israel fought Hamas in Gaza after Palestinian terrorist organizations rejected a new ceasefire contract.
In the past day, IDF resumed target ground operations in central and southern Gaza, expanded security zones and increased control of the Netzarim corridor.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @joshuaklein
