Israeli Sources Admit More Hamas Leaders May Be Alive Despite Assassination Claims
Reports reveal Israeli intelligence inaccuracies as Hamas leaders previously declared killed resurface, raising questions about war casualty figures and military credibility.
Watan-The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that security sources do not rule out the possibility of seeing more Hamas leaders alive in the coming days, despite Israeli military claims of their assassination.
Earlier, the Israeli military spokesperson admitted that intelligence reports on the successful assassination of Haitham al-Hawajri, commander of the Al-Shati Battalion in Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, were inaccurate. This was confirmed when al-Hawajri appeared in the recent operation to hand over Israeli captive Keith Siegel at Gaza’s port last Saturday.
Similarly, on January 22, Hussein Fayadh (Abu Hamza), commander of the Beit Hanoun Battalion, appeared in a video—eight months after the Israeli army had declared his assassination in northern Gaza.
Doubts Over Israeli Assassination Claims
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli military sources acknowledged that the security establishment announced the deaths of dozens of Hamas operatives without full verification.
The report added, “Sometimes even Hamas does not immediately know the results of an airstrike targeting its leaders, and assessing the outcomes of such operations is not always 100% accurate. Some targets were struck inside tunnels or in houses that were completely destroyed with everyone inside.”
The newspaper noted that the higher the rank of the targeted leader, the more tonnage of bombs is used to ensure their elimination, and extensive intelligence resources are dedicated to confirming the results.
The Israeli military has reportedly delayed announcing the results of assassination attempts on senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, often taking days or even weeks before confirming their success.
Despite official Israeli claims that over 100 high-ranking Hamas commanders have been assassinated—including brigade and battalion leaders as well as key figures like Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, and Yahya Sinwar—many remain unaccounted for.
Hamas’ Rebuilding Efforts
The newspaper acknowledged that, despite Israel’s intelligence failures, Hamas continues to have key leaders across Gaza, playing a crucial role in rebuilding the movement.
Alongside Mohammed Sinwar, who is believed to have taken over his brother’s leadership role in Al-Qassam Brigades, other field commanders remain active, including:
- Mohammed Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade
- Ezzedine Haddad, commander of Gaza City Brigade
Doubt Over Hamas Casualty Figures
The report also revealed internal criticism within the Israeli military regarding what some officers described as “astronomically inflated” figures of Hamas fighters killed in the war.
A military source admitted to the newspaper that Israeli soldiers shot and killed civilians in Gaza, who were then counted as “terrorists” without verifying their identities.
He added, “There were Palestinians—many of them unarmed—running in the streets or in combat zones where civilians weren’t supposed to be. We shot them, saw them fall from a distance, and assumed they were terrorists. They were then added to the daily enemy casualty count without anyone verifying their identities or even whether they were killed or just wounded.”
Hamas’ Military Strength Remains Intact
Despite Israeli claims of weakening Hamas, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the group still has at least 10,000 active fighters, out of the estimated 30,000 it had before the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
Additionally, hundreds of new recruits have recently joined Hamas, receiving rapid training to bolster the group’s ranks in Gaza.
