US intelligence officials told members of Congress this week that Israel had degraded Hamas’ fighting capabilities but was not close to eliminating the group, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
According to the report, American officials have raised doubts about whether the destruction or elimination of Hamas is a realistic objective, given it operates like a guerrilla force, hidden in a network of tunnels that are difficult to penetrate. Weakening the combat strength of the group may be a far more achievable goal, US officials have said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that Israel had destroyed two-thirds of Hamas’ fighting regiments, but American officials quoted by The New York Times have said privately that their estimates are lower, and perhaps only a third of Hamas fighters have been killed.
Before the war, estimates of Hamas’ fighting strength ranged from 20,000 to 25,000.