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Qassam Brigades - Strength

Hamas does not provide figures on the number of its fighters, but estimates indicate that the number was approximately between 30,000 and 40,000 when the war broke out on October 7. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, numbered between 15,000 and 20,000 fighters, while the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies puts the figure at 15,000.

For his part, the Israeli military and strategic expert, Colonel Moshe Elad, confirms that Israel succeeded in eliminating 22 Hamas battalions out of 25 present in the Gaza Strip. Speaking to Alhurra, he indicated that the Israeli army was able to eliminate 17,000 members of Hamas and other fighting factions in Gaza.

In a related context, the Israeli military and strategic expert, Kofi Lavi, talks about the success of the Israeli forces in "dismantling the Hamas battalions" in the Gaza Strip. "The infrastructure and organizational capabilities of Hamas Brigades have disintegrated," but there are "activists and individuals" who want to "restructure the movement," and are launching rockets toward Israel from some areas in the Gaza Strip, he told Alhurra.

For his part, Israeli political analyst Eddie Cohen points out that Israeli forces were able to "dismantle Hamas" and eliminate most of the "senior leaders," but "have not yet eliminated the entire movement." "90 percent of Hamas's military capabilities have been paralyzed," as there are "some remaining elements of the movement that fire at Israel from time to time," according to estimates given by Cohen to Alhurra.

But on the other hand, the Palestinian military and strategic expert, Major General Wassef Erekat, believes that Hamas and the Palestinian factions "are still present, fighting, and carrying out painful operations and strikes against the Israeli army." Speaking to Alhurra, he indicated that the Israeli army "failed to achieve its declared goals, which were to eliminate Hamas or free the hostages by military force."

In a related context, Palestinian political analyst and head of the European Council for International Relations and Consultations, based in Paris, Adel Al-Ghoul, stresses that “if it is confirmed that 17,000 Hamas fighters were killed, this does not mean that it is militarily finished.” The number of members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades exceeds 40,000 people, and therefore more than half of the members of Hamas's military wing are present, especially "underground in the tunnels," according to what he told the Al-Hurra website.

For his part, Palestinian political analyst Ayman Al-Raqab estimates the number of Hamas and Palestinian faction militants in the Gaza Strip at 50 to 70 thousand during the first days of the war. Between 20 and 30 percent of these elements were killed during the 10 months of war, and "new militants" are being recruited daily after a large number of young men lost their families and relatives, which created "a very great hatred" against the Israeli army, according to what he explained to the "Al-Hurra" website.

On 6 August 2024, the Israeli army announced that it had "eliminated more than 17,000 terrorists" since the outbreak of the war with Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip more than ten months ago. Alhurra contacted the army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, his deputy, officer Ella Wawia, and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, to clarify the number of Hamas battalions that were "eliminated," but did not receive a response.

The CIA World Factbook revealed that Hamas “obtains its weapons through smuggling or local manufacturing and receives some military support from Iran.” During the war in Gaza, Hamas's arsenal of rockets and missiles, previously estimated at 15,000 to 30,000, was depleted. The Israeli military estimates that at least 13,000 rockets were fired, and Israeli forces seized shell caches during their sweep through Gaza.

For his part, Al-Ghoul confirms that "Hamas has been subjected to painful blows and has lost many of its military leaders, and a number of battalions have been dismantled." But Hamas "did not end militarily, and Israel was unable to eliminate it," after the movement changed its "tactics" and resorted to the tactic of "individual groups and street warfare" with a "hit and run" logic, according to the Palestinian political analyst.

Al-Raqab agrees with him, stressing that Gaza has been under siege, "not a single bullet or gun has entered it for months," and therefore "the combat capabilities of Hamas and other factions have declined significantly due to a lack of capabilities." Hamas and the Palestinian factions "are trying to recycle the weapons that the Israeli army leaves behind when it enters and exits an area, such as ammunition that falls from soldiers, as well as missiles that fall and do not explode," according to the Palestinian political analyst.

In the Gaza Strip, the fighting has become more scattered and less organized as Hamas has shifted toward guerrilla warfare carried out by small groups of fighters. A previous study conducted by CNN revealed that the military wing of Hamas consists of 24 battalions, and the Israeli army was able to destroy some of the battalions. According to the study, in which the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) participated, there are eight Hamas battalions that “remain effective in combat against the Israeli army and are capable of defending the territory using advanced methods and weapons.”

While there are 13 battalions whose combat capabilities have declined, they can carry out smaller, less successful guerrilla-style attacks, according to the study. Therefore, Al-Ghoul confirms that "Hamas has not ended militarily," but it is "reorganizing its battalions" in the northern Gaza Strip, Khan Yunis, and some other areas.

For his part, Al-Raqab confirms that Hamas prepared its forces for fighting "in different stages," as those currently fighting "are not the elite," and there is "a gradual exit of fighters," and a large portion of those killed are from the second or third ranks of the movement. Hamas realizes that the war may be prolonged and therefore "it will not use all its strength to confront the Israeli army," and at the same time it is "rearranging its cards and building its strength," even though it has been "exhausted" by the loss of a number of its fighters and military capabilities, according to the Palestinian political analyst. Al-Raqab points out that the Israeli army knows that remaining in Gaza is “exhausting” and that Hamas has “prepared” for a long-term war and has the ability to “continue operations against Israeli forces.”

But on the other hand, Lavi points out the presence of "some individual elements of the Hamas movement, in several areas of the Gaza Strip." The remaining Hamas elements must be pursued and “eliminated,” in light of “attempts to reorganize the movement’s battalions again,” according to the former Israeli army officer. Therefore, the Israeli military operation "continues" in the Gaza Strip until the end of the military mission and the elimination of "any way in which Hamas can threaten Israel," according to the former Israeli army officer.

For his part, Elad stresses that "it is possible to eliminate Hamas as a terrorist organization," while "the ideology and the idea cannot be eliminated," as he put it. "You can kill members of the organization, but it is difficult to kill faith and belief," says the former Israeli army colonel. He points out that "Hamas received a very strong blow as an organization, but if Israel wants to complete the victory, it must continue with the international agreement that will include the next day in the Gaza Strip." Hamas will not suffer a severe defeat unless another party takes control of the Strip, provided that it "does not carry the movement's ideology," according to the Israeli military and strategic expert.

Israel has repeatedly stressed its primary goal in the war in the Gaza Strip, which is to "destroy the Hamas movement," which is classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries, while experts who spoke to Alhurra website are debating ways to achieve this in light of the movement's reliance on "an ideology that is difficult to eliminate."