Israeli Military Warns: War Won’t Eradicate Hamas

Watan-A document distributed by Israeli military leaders to government officials warned that even if the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, were dismantled as a military force, the movement would remain a standing force.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that the document, prepared by the Israeli army’s research department, states that “real support still exists” for Hamas among the residents of Gaza.

The document also warned that “Gaza will become a region in deep crisis” due to the absence of a plan for “the day after” the war.

Channel 12 mentioned that the document was presented to senior politicians in Israel after a period of high-level military and intelligence discussions about the outcomes.

Investigative journalist Ilana Dayan stated that the “bottom line” of the document is that war will not lead to the elimination of Hamas.

The report contradicts Netanyahu’s goal

The report directly contradicts the stated goal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to eliminate the Hamas movement, a goal that many countries have warned against and described as unrealistic.

In November, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, John Kirby, said that Israel would not be able to eliminate Hamas and its ideology.

Kirby said, “What we’ve learned through our own experiences is that through military means and other means, you can certainly have a significant effect on a terrorist group’s ability to resource, to train fighters, to recruit fighters, and to plan attacks.”

He added, “That doesn’t mean the ideology goes away,” a stance he reiterated in January.

More than 28,000 Palestinians were killed and 68,395 others were injured in the Israeli attack.

This report comes as Israel prepares for a ground assault on the city of Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million reside.

Netanyahu stated that it is only a matter of time before Israel launches a ground invasion of the city.