WHY THIS MATTERS: Destroying Hamas is one of Israel’s main goals for its war in Gaza. But the weakened militant group still has thousands of fighters, support from Palestinians and at least 20 living hostages from the 2023 attack that started the war. Strikes like the one carried out in Qatar, and a major offensive in Gaza City, appear unlikely to vanquish the militant group.
Israel’s attack on Hamas’ top leaders as they weighed a new ceasefire proposal in Qatar was the latest in a series of shocking and unprecedented measures it has taken to vanquish the militant group — all of which have so far failed.Hamas says its top leaders survived Tuesday’s strike, but it has offered no proof and has been tight-lipped after past assassinations. But even if the strike did succeed, it wouldn’t spell the end of Hamas, which has survived two years of war and still holds around 20 living hostages in the Gaza Strip.Nor is there any reason to believe that Israel’s latest offensive, aimed at taking over Gaza City, will bring about the “total victory” that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war.That’s in part because of Hamas’ ability to melt into the population and resurface later.But it’s also because Israel’s stated goal of not only defeating Hamas, but disarming it and ensuring it never reconstitutes itself — appears to many, including former top Israeli security officials — to be a recipe for endless war and occupation.
