According to U.S. intelligence agencies, Israel has killed only 20 to 30 percent of the estimated 30,000 terrorist insurgents, falling short of its goal of quickly eradicating Hamas.
More than three months into the war that has devastated Gaza, Hamas maintains the bulk of its fighting force with enough ammunition to continue firing on Israeli and IDF soldiers for months. Officials told The Wall Street Journal.
The estimate comes as the IDF claims that about 9,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed since the start of the war, including about 1,000 during the October 7 massacre that killed more than 1,200 Israelis. It was announced in
The United States estimates Hamas's membership at between 25,000 and 30,000, a more conservative estimate than Israel's, which puts the terrorists' fighting strength at more than 30,000.
The United States also disputes Israel's claims that as many as 16,000 Hamas fighters have been wounded in the fighting, with about half so seriously injured that they are unable to return to the front lines.
U.S. officials estimate that only 10,500 to 11,700 terrorists were injured, many of whom will eventually return to action, the newspaper reported.
The IDF declined to comment on the U.S. numbers. Hamas has not yet commented, but the group has frequently denied suffering heavy losses in the war.
The intelligence officials' estimates raise questions about the feasibility of Israel's goal of annihilating Hamas and concerns about the growing number of civilian casualties in Gaza.
The death toll now exceeds 25,000, many of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
Looking at the latest numbers, the ratio appears to be similar to last month's estimate, in which the Israeli military admitted that about two civilians were killed for every Hamas terrorist fatality in the Gaza Strip, an IDF spokesperson said. “Very positive.”
The Israel Defense Forces assesses that the war is likely to last through 2024 in order to dismantle Hamas operations in Gaza and free the more than 130 Israeli hostages still held captive.
Following the victory in northern Gaza and pressure from the United States to wind down the war, Israel also began removing some soldiers from the Palestinian enclave for training and rest.
However, the US has warned Israel that it will continue to see a resurgence of the terror group in northern and central Gaza, as Hamas forces may maintain a strong presence throughout the enclave. .
Such incidents have already occurred, with the Israel Defense Forces reporting rocket fire from central Gaza just days after Israeli forces cleared large parts of the Strip earlier this week.
Similar attacks have occurred in the north, where the Israeli military has previously touted that Hamas has lost “operational control” and the IDF has focused on the south since December.
This follows several Israeli officials who have warned that despite the IDF's advance into Gaza, Hamas will return and try to reassert itself in areas where Israel has withdrawn or reduced its forces. highlights concerns.
Despite criticism from his war cabinet over the direction of the fighting in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Thursday that fighting will continue until the Islamic militants are crushed.
