• Hamas fighting force reduced by half - US officials
    • Group relying on ambushes, improvised bombs, they say
    • Such tactics could sustain a lengthy insurgency
    • ‘There is no quick fix,’ says Israeli military

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel’s attempts to take control of Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters. The enclave’s ruling group has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to three senior U.S. officials familiar with battlefield developments, down from American estimates , opens new tab of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign. Hamas fighters are now largely avoiding sustained skirmishes with Israeli forces closing in on the southernmost city of Rafah, instead relying on ambushes and improvised bombs to hit targets often behind enemy lines, one of the officials said.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    72·
    5 months ago

    It’s like the Israelis watched us do both Iraq round 2 and Afghanistan, and instead of seeing it as a cautionary tale, they were like “hmmm yes this is excellent”

    • goferking0@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      33·
      5 months ago

      All they learned was they have to eliminate or displace everyone then take it over rather than it’s a dumb idea

      • Andy@slrpnk.netEnglish
        29·
        5 months ago

        To add to this: Netanyahu has been on trial for corruption for years, and he’s been using the war as an excuse to avoid holding elections, which he would lose.

        When the war ends, Bibi is going to jail. And would you look at that? He’s in a permanent war! What are the odds.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      5 months ago

      It’s that exact reason that the US right wing continues to liken Oct. 7 to 9/11. They believe that disproportionate retaliation is somehow justice.

      If Trump wins in November, you can be sure Israel will bomb and pave every last bit of Palestinian territory.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        5·
        5 months ago

        If Trump wins in November, you can be sure that Trump will send squadrons of B-52s to carpet bomb Gaza and the West Bank into dust and call it “assisting Israel with their territorial security”.