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go through Nidal Mugrabi and Maya Lubell
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, July 25 (Reuters) – Israel is close to achieving its war goal of defeating Hamas militarily and repatriating the hostages it took on Oct. 7, senior government figures said. But Hamas’ presence as a guerrilla group and its influence in Gaza could overshadow any deal.
After nine months of battering by one of the Middle East’s most powerful militaries, Hamas is far weaker than it was when it launched its cross-border attack on Israel on October 7.
Early in the war, Hamas propaganda videos showed well-trained fighters in body armor, combat fatigues and ammunition belts. Now, videos show small groups of insurgents in T-shirts and sneakers carrying out attacks on Gaza’s bombed-out streets.
Reuters spoke to three sources with knowledge of Hamas tactics, two former Hamas militants, three Palestinian officials, two Israeli military sources and an Israeli defense official to understand the group’s losses and its strategy.
Two Israeli and two Palestinian sources told Reuters that Hamas’ communications network, which was established before the war, had been severely damaged. Palestinian sources said this had left Hamas command fragmented and relying on hand-delivered messages to avoid Israeli surveillance.
A Palestinian source familiar with Hamas’ military strategy said the loss of lives and destroyed communications networks meant the central decision-making body had collapsed. The Israeli military said much of Gaza’s vast network of tunnels beneath the city had also been destroyed or breached.
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