TEHRAN – The appearance of Hamas fighters on the streets of Gaza after the ceasefire will be a major blow to the Israeli regime.
Just hours after the ceasefire went into effect on Sunday, Hamas fighters in military uniform suddenly appeared.
Since then, additional footage has been released showing an increased presence of Hamas fighters in military uniform and large rallies.
The image did not escape the attention of Western news media.
“Hamas’ armed Qassam Brigades appear wearing distinctive black balaclavas and green headbands,” the Financial Times wrote on Tuesday under the headline “Is Hamas back?”
The newspaper points out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “destroy” the militants following their attack on October 7, 2023.
“Instead, after 15 months of underground guerrilla warfare and days after the deal, Hamas officials, fighters and police emerged from the rubble of the shattered enclave to take control of Gaza again. Looks like he’s ready.”
Muhaimah Abusada, a political scientist at Northwestern University, told the newspaper: “Despite the military losses, Hamas is not finished. The way the hostages were handed over was a show of force and an act of defiance against Israel.”
The FT also noted that footage of Hamas fighters returning to the ground and asserting their authority shocked the Israeli public and raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the ferocious operation waged on the Strip.
Immediately after the ceasefire took effect, the Gaza government media office announced plans to restore security and order. He stressed that the municipality has begun reopening and repairing roads.
Over the past few months, Israeli officials have grown increasingly concerned about the effectiveness of the relentless military campaign against the Gaza Strip.
Despite the scale of the war and the unprecedented resources poured into it, questions and anger continue to mount in Israeli media about its long-term impact and strategic outcomes.
As time passes, doubts are growing within Israel about whether the war achieved its intended results.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Hamas’ decision to send fighters to hand over Israeli prisoners is a deliberate move to demonstrate Hamas’ continued dominance in the region. he pointed out.
Despite Hamas being classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the unprecedented level of Israeli military has demonstrated its inability to eliminate it or replace it with an alternative organization.
The paper added that this public show of power suggests that relief organizations and the government will have to work with Hamas as recovery efforts begin in the coming weeks. It was an outcome that the Israelis desperately tried to avoid.
Gershon Baskin, Israel’s former negotiator on the Gaza prisoner-of-war issue, argued that Hamas’ continued presence is a clear challenge to the Netanyahu government and military. This highlights that Israel’s war goals have always been unrealistic.
Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo has previously acknowledged that although Hamas has suffered heavy losses, it remains a powerful force and continues to dominate Gaza and control its affairs.
Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the continuing threat posed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a speech on the Biden administration’s Middle East policy to the Atlantic Council last Tuesday.
“Hamas remains a very dangerous force,” Blinken said, adding that despite losses, the group has managed to regain strength.
“We estimate that Hamas has mobilized approximately the same number of new militants as it has lost,” he said.
“That’s a recipe for lasting rebellion and lasting war.”
Blinked added: “That is exactly what has been happening in northern Gaza since October 7, 2023. Every time Israel completes a military operation and withdraws, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge. Because there is nothing else to fill that void.”