- 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.
Right. And Israel has the right to actually defend itself. Where the issue happens is that indiscriminate bombing in densely populated areas does not constitute “self defense.” Nor does sniping journalists, dropping precision munitions on aid convoys, dropping thousand pound bombs on refugee camps, using white phosphorus anywhere near a city, collective punishment such as cutting access to aid and water for millions of people (actual war crime by the way), or literally anything that’s occurred in the west bank.
So when people say they support Palestine, that’s what they mean. Not hamas. Don’t be disingenuous.
Not all people, don’t be naive. Many want the Jews to disappear and don’t give two F’s what happens to them.
Remember when people chant “from the river to the sea” , what it actually means.
The slogan From the River to the Sea is about Palestinian liberation that started in the 60s by the PLO for a democratic secular state, not Genocide. The Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad in 1966 maybe, but he’s not Palestinian.
Maybe that’s where it originated, but it’s not why they chant it now.
They want Jews gone from that area, one way or another.
They’ve explained themselves so many times and yet you still somehow know better than them what they’re protesting for. Amazing.
Would you call me antisemitic for saying Israel’s leadership is genocidal?
Please. Most protestors don’t know anything in the USA/Canada and are brainwashed students.
Look, Israel is in a war. Civilians get killed unfortunately. Some soldiers are acting out of line and doing what they want based on hatred, and they should be held accountable.
Is Bibi also targeting civilians? Yes and no, it’s hard to say directly.
Don’t believe everything either side tells you.
I’ll take Israeli leaders at their word.
https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/1720215711925043260/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1720215711925043260¤tTweetUser=mehdirhasan
They’re acting on what their own fucking leaders tell them. Don’t pretend this isn’t systemic.
I can’t see the post, take a pic and post it
Well that’s probably Twitter being shit because it doesn’t work for me either. Basically mehdi Hasan quoting netenyahu, cabinet members, and generals about how they have to kill everyone in Gaza. Referring to amalek, specifically in the case of bibi. If you understand the reference you know how significant that is. He didn’t even bring up any Ben-gvir quotes and he’s the worst of the bunch.
Some civilians get killed unfortunately. When you already killed 2% of the population, half of which are children, it’s genocide.
Half the population in Gaza is children?
Yeah
Do you want to discuss the over 500 incitements of genocide? When it comes to intent, Israel’s intent has been documented more than most
https://law4palestine.org/law-for-palestine-releases-database-with-500-instances-of-israeli-incitement-to-genocide-continuously-updated/
Hamas’ intent is to “kill all Jews”. It’s in their charter, documented
Except, it’s not. Look for yourself
Hamas 1988 Charter and Revised 2017 Charter
The 1988 Charter, which is certainly unreasonable in its fundamentalism with Sharia Law and is antisemitic, does not call for the extermination of all Jewish People. Hamas wants an end to Israel as an Apartheid State, not an extermination of all Israelis. Under Ahmed Yassin in the 1990’s, truces were offered in exchange for Israeli to withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank to the 1967 borders. The 2017 Revised charter explicitly accepts a Two-State Solution of the 1967 Borders. Check Article 7 and 13 of the 1988 Charter to see yourself, compare it to Article 20 and 24-26 in the revised charter.
Correct me if I am wrong but it sure as hell seems like this is the aspiration of Israel to slowly evict all Arabs and Palestinians out of Israel or make their life hell, in order for them to revolt and give them an excuse for ethnic cleansing.
And let’s not forget that Israel prior to its founding had less than 10% of the population in modern day Israel.
So stop pretending that Israel is only fighting for self-defence and see what’s happening in the West bank and how they actively are trying to make the lives of all non Israeli citizens unbearable. Occupying the West Bank, uprooting olive trees, building checkpoints. Sorry but I am pretty sure if you were personally a subject to those restrictions you wouldn’t be happy either.
Yes, you’re wrong.
Many Palestinians live within Israel peacefully. Many other Muslims do as well.
Imagine a jew even trying to set foot in Gaza where Hamas is in control.
They even block Jewish people from entering the temple, whereas any Muslim can freely explore Israel.
It seems you’re all for open borders in all countries, and that’s just a recipe for disaster.
Yes that’s why israel has segregated roads for Palestinians and every major human rights organisation calls israel an Apartheid. Because you can just make shit up.
Every organization? Lol sure
You have no idea what you’re talking about. There are millions of Muslim people living fine within Israel. They are not driving on separate roads or anything like that. Why do you lie so much?