Hamas re-establishing itself as Israel war objectives proved ‘elusive’: US media
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is regrouping across the Gaza Strip, an American daily says, pointing out that Israeli forces are again fighting in the areas where they claimed to have defeated Hamas fighters.
“Now, [Israeli] troops are back fighting in the places they vacated,” The Wall Street Journal wrote in an article published on Sunday.
The article cited the recent resumption of the Israeli regime’s airstrikes against Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, which was followed by ground raids against the northern city and the nearby city of Beit Lahia.
Hamas’s fighters “are re-establishing themselves” in northern Gaza, the article noted, saying the group had recently killed at least five Israeli forces in those areas.
“You leave and two minutes later, Hamas is back,” Michael Milshtein, a former head of Palestinian affairs for the Israeli military intelligence, told the daily.
The Israeli spy agency Mossad admits that it was “surprised” by the operation conducted by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group in early October.
“It’s impossible to build an alternative and create a new situation in Gaza, and at the same time, get out of any area you took,” he added.
The regime has been waging a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October 7 in response to Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory’s resistance groups.
More than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died as a result of the brutal military onslaught so far.
‘Rafah op. won’t defeat Hamas’
The Journal pointed to an underway operation by the Israeli military against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Tel Aviv has alleged, is aimed at dealing a final blow to Hamas.
Israeli analysts speaking to the daily said that the operation would not “deal a decisive blow to Hamas,” noting that the group “can pop up anywhere.”
“It wouldn’t be an end to the war. An end to the war can be achieved only through a political decision by the two sides to agree on a ceasefire,” said Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli brig. gen.
“In this type of war, which is a war against a guerrilla force, I don’t think there are decisive moments,” he added.
