AhlulBayt News Agency: A senior Israeli military commander has warned that the Israeli public is being misled about the army’s progress against Hamas, saying the Palestinian resistance movement will not be defeated for years.
In an interview published Friday by Ynet, the unnamed officer said Hamas continues to maintain extensive infrastructure across Gaza and the fight against it remains far from complete.
The commander described efforts to dismantle Hamas as slow and repetitive, adding that Israeli forces will need to continuously return to Gaza for operations.
He stated, “This work will need to continue for a year, five years—to preserve any achievements.”
“It doesn’t matter if the enemy is Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or another group,” he added.
He accused Israeli leadership of misleading the public with political spin, comparing it to past rounds of fighting.
Separately, Israeli reserve major-general Yitzhak Brik told Maariv that Hamas has regained its pre-war strength, contradicting official claims.
Brik described the situation for Israeli forces in Gaza as dire, estimating that Hamas still commands about 40,000 fighters.
Meanwhile, Hamas declared full readiness for a drawn-out war of attrition against Israel.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, said that if Israel continues its “war of extermination,” it will suffer mounting military deaths.
He outlined a resistance strategy centered on inflicting casualties, conducting specialized raids, and capturing Israeli soldiers.
Obeida said Hamas fighters had already killed or injured hundreds of Israeli troops, with many more suffering psychological effects.
He confirmed that Hamas monitors the ceasefire talks and demands a deal that ends the war, ensures Israeli withdrawal, and provides relief for Palestinians.
Hamas has stated that its ongoing war of attrition surprises Israeli forces with innovative field tactics and shifts momentum away from the occupiers.
“The longer the war continues, the deeper Israel sinks into Gaza’s terrain and becomes vulnerable to precision resistance strikes,” Abu Obeida added.
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