New Delhi: Since the ongoing conflict with Israel, now entering another minute but with no resolution for decades, Palestinian militant Hamas has been working on finding new fighters in Gaza. The move comes as Hamas faces devastating armed setbacks and a paralysing economic crisis. Hamas’ military wing said it had recruited 30,000 newly trained young fighters through its Al-Qassam Brigades. The recruits are trained but this time in guerrilla warfare tactics instead of military training.
Israeli media and Saudi news network Al-Hadath reported that this upcoming tactic indicates Hamas is preparing for a prolonged war. Instead, the group’s attention is on ambushes, deceiving the enemy, and urban warfare; there will be no more traditional front-line trench fighting. The unfettered devastation in Gaza and other extreme material deprivation are presenting additional challenges for Hamas in compensating its soldiers. The group is said to be facing “extreme resource scarcities”, according to the Wall Street Journal; however, it is adapting and restructuring itself into an alternative form of warfare, rather than retreating from the battlefield.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when it took the coastal strip from the Fatah group that is its political rival. It came to power based on what the international community, primarily the U.S., called for — Palestinian elections. This produced an even more extreme confrontation in the aftermath of an Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel which elicited a wave of concrete mass military retaliation from Tel Aviv that could have turned Tel Aviv into an industrial wasteland. Multiple ceasefire attempts failed, and in March 2024, following the breakdown of the last ceasefire, combat resumed. More than 1,800 casualties from Gaza and upwards of 4,800 wounded, just days following this last. Local Coordination Committees for their part, said more than 51,000 people had now died during the conflict, with more than 100,000 injured and killed.
Of course, no. These statistics really say, Tell us, Gaza is not the battleground but the humanitarian crisis. Hamas has announced that they will sign up new Hamas by continuing to fight (which bodes ill not only for Gazans but also for the peace and security of the region). Although the group is now almost broke, its attempts to preserve its military strength by incorporating newly graduated youths suggest that Gaza may be even more dire in the future.
Cohen said it was the first stage of military operations in Gaza “now that Hamas wants to replenish its stocks of fighting forces.” Ultimately, however, of course, whether those battles will continue to be fought for the lives of human beings in Gaza, and not just those border areas, will depend on the possibility of a political resolution being reached. This negative feedback loop shows just how difficult it is to resolve this crisis.
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