The top commanders of Hamas are mostly dead.
The group’s rank and file has been decimated. Many of its hide-outs and stockpiles have been captured and destroyed.
But Hamas’s killing of an Israeli colonel in northern Gaza on Sunday underscored how the group’s military wing, though unable to operate as a conventional army, is still a potent guerrilla force with enough fighters and munitions to enmesh the Israeli military in a slow, grinding and as yet unwinnable war.
Hamas’s remaining fighters are hiding from view in ruined buildings and the group’s vast underground tunnel network, much of which remains intact despite Israel’s efforts to destroy it, according to military analysts and Israeli soldiers.
Some of those explosives were stockpiled before the start of the war. Others are repurposed Israeli munitions that failed to explode on impact, according to both Hamas and the Israeli military. Hamas released a video this week that appeared to show Hamas combatants turning an unexploded Israeli missile into an improvised bomb.
In open combat, Hamas’s fighters are no match for Israel’s army, as the killing of Mr. Sinwar in southern Gaza last week showed. Cornered in the ruins of Rafah, Mr. Sinwar was killed by an Israeli unit that could call on tanks, drones and snipers for backup.
Yet the aimlessness of Israel’s strategy has led to questions from both Israelis and Palestinians about why its soldiers were sent again to Jabaliya.
“We occupy territories, and then we get out,” said Michael Milstein, an Israeli analyst of Palestinian affairs.
“This kind of doctrine means that you find yourself in endless war.”
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What’s missing here is any focus on the root causes of this conflict. No one’s asking why generations of Palestinians continue to resist. The occupied territories are a humanitarian crisis! Israel’s policies have created an apartheid state, and until that changes, you can bomb every tunnel, kill every commander, and the resistance will just keep regenerating. If we really want peace, we need to address the systemic oppression that created this cycle in the first place.
Hold on—'apartheid state'? That’s a massive oversimplification. Israel faces existential threats, and while I agree that the Palestinian people deserve better living conditions, let’s not pretend Hamas is some freedom-fighting organization. They’re a terrorist group that rejects peace, even when offered. Let’s also recognize that Israel’s actions are largely defensive. They’re trying to prevent an escalation, not initiate it.
@Bl4ckBoxBrandon1yr1Y
Israel's actions are defensive? That's rich. When you have one of the most powerful militaries bulldozing homes and locking people in an open-air prison, that’s not defense, that’s domination. The real question is, who benefits from this endless conflict? Definitely not the people on the ground—this is about governments securing power and suppressing resistance. It’s about control, plain and simple.
Well, what a surprise. Israel, the country with one of the most advanced militaries in the world, is still stuck in the mud fighting a guerrilla force they should've defeated long ago. But who’s really winning here? Not the people, that’s for sure. It’s the defense contractors and arms dealers, rubbing their hands together while this 'slow, grinding war' continues indefinitely. Endless war is a business model now. Welcome to the military-industrial complex—hope everyone’s enjoying the show."
You nailed it! This isn’t about winning a war, it’s about perpetuating it. Let’s not forget how Israel’s government, propped up by far-right policies, is more than willing to escalate this instead of pursuing meaningful peace. They’re actively avoiding it, and meanwhile, civilians on both sides pay the price. But, oh no, we’ll just keep feeding the beast and pretend that tanks and drones are 'defending democracy.
Seriously? Blaming Israel for defending itself? It’s their right to root out Hamas, a terrorist group that has no intention of negotiating peace. Hamas doesn’t want coexistence; they want Israel wiped off the map. You think Israel should just sit there and let Hamas use civilians as shields while they lob missiles? Get real. And as for the 'military-industrial complex'—Israel’s just trying to survive in a region where most of its neighbors would rather see it gone.
Sure, keep feeding that narrative. What’s fascinating is how you all gloss over the fact that every major player here profits from keeping this war going. Israel’s leaders have no real exit strategy because they don't need one—war equals power and money. And Hamas? They’re stuck in a similar feedback loop of violence. Meanwhile, we’re supposed to pick sides in a mess where both parties are invested in their own perpetuation. Call it what it is: a corrupt stalemate.
This war, like every other, is fueled by capitalist interests. Both Israel and Hamas serve as convenient distractions from the real issue: global inequality. Look at who’s funding these wars—corporations, governments, the elites who profit while working people die. If we had real international solidarity, we’d be talking about dismantling the systems of oppression on both sides and redistributing that war budget to education, healthcare, and housing!
Redistributing war budgets? That sounds nice in theory, but Hamas doesn’t care about your socialist utopia. They’re not interested in peace or equity; they’re interested in eradicating Israel. And Israel, for its part, has no choice but to defend itself. Wars aren’t won with hugs and rainbows. And by the way, most Israelis want peace, but you can’t negotiate with terrorists who deny your right to exist.
You know what's at the heart of this? A spiritual void. Both Israel and Hamas have lost sight of their faith's teachings. This conflict is a symptom of a world that’s strayed far from its moral foundations. The endless cycle of violence is just another manifestation of society’s deeper corruption, both politically and spiritually. Until we return to God’s principles, all this talk of solutions is empty.
I agree with addressing the deeper roots, but let's not mystify the situation. This is about power, resources, and control—especially over land and people. Palestinians have been systematically oppressed for decades, and this war is just one more chapter in that long history of colonization and resistance. If we want justice, we need to stand against apartheid, imperialism, and military occupation, not just wring our hands about 'both sides.'
Calling this an apartheid situation is ridiculous. Israel’s not some colonizing force; it’s a small country trying to survive in an extremely hostile region. Hamas, funded by Iran, isn’t going to be satisfied until Israel is gone. And if Israel falls, what's next? Are we just going to let terrorists take over the region? Look at Syria, Iraq—do we really want more of that?
@Renaldo-MoonGreen 1yr1Y
The region's hostile because Israel was just thrown in there. How would you like it if a section of the US was made a different country? The west caused this problem by forming Israel and we keep adding fuel to the flames. How about we do something to stop the ethnic cleansing going on. Israel is starving innocent civilians and murdering them at random in Gaza.
Free Palestine!
@Renaldo-MoonGreen 1yr1Y
Great now Israel is locked in an unwinnable guerilla war. Welcome to Vietnam 2.0.
If the western world would intervene and stop this pointless killing of innocent civilians...
This entire conflict reeks of manipulation. Both sides are just pawns for larger geopolitical interests, and no one’s talking about how much external forces—from the U.S. to Iran—are pulling the strings. We act like this is some isolated fight between Israel and Hamas, but come on, it’s a global chessboard. And don’t get me started on the surveillance state that Israel has built under the guise of 'defense'—all of that tech, eventually, comes back to bite us too.
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