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- Israel-Hamas war
- Hamas far from collapsing, Israel not operating in areas where captives held - report
Hamas far from collapsing, Israel not operating in areas where captives held - report
According to a CNN report, Hamas battalions in central Gaza were the least affected by operations • Israeli sources said security forces believed that many Israeli hostages are being held there
Almost half of Hamas's battalions in the northern and central Gaza Strip have retained some combat capabilities, according to a CNN report on Monday.
The assessment was made based on research by the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, the Institute for the Study of War, and CNN.
This is contrary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that "victory is in sight," as he told a joint session of US Congress on July 24. In addition, Israel has claimed a string of victories by killing top level Hamas leaders, including Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa. Senior leader Ismail Haniyeh was also killed last week in Tehran, although Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack.
Despite this, by covering all of Hamas's activities until July, the report shows that Hamas have used resources efficiently on the ground. Several of the terrorist organization's units have returned to central areas after being purged by the IDF through intense fighting. According to the study, based on new analyses, the report revealed that Hamas operatives who survived the attacks have worked tirelessly to renew their activities.
The Hamas battalions in the center of the Gaza Strip are least harmed, according to Israeli military sources. They said Israel's security forces have not dealt well enough with these battalions, as they believed that many Israeli captives were held there.