Hamas Battalion Rebuilds Combat Capacity, Shortage of High-Level Command Forces May Pose a Bigger Problem

According to an American study, nearly half of Hamas' military battalions in the northern and central parts of Gaza have partially rebuilt their combat capabilities. The shortage of high-level command forces may present a greater challenge.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu previously claimed that "victory is within sight", but research data shows otherwise. Since October 7, 2023, although Israel's operations have dealt a heavy blow to Hamas, Hamas has effectively utilized resources to rescue the remaining troops and replenish personnel.

The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, is divided into 24 battalions. As of July 1st, only 3 battalions have been completely destroyed, 13 battalions have suffered severe blows, and 8 battalions still retain strong combat capabilities. Over the past six months, 7 out of 16 battalions in central and northern Gaza have been reorganized. Hamas' methods of rebuilding its troops include regrouping and recruiting new soldiers, and manufacturing new weapons, but training new soldiers is difficult.

Hamas' top brass has been frequently attacked. Since the start of this round of conflict, Hamas has claimed to recruit new fighters, but it is more difficult to replace deceased commanders. In the past two months, Hamas' top leaders have been frequently targeted. 

In October last year, the BBC said that there were 7 core figures in Hamas' leadership, and now only 4 remain, including Yahya Sinwar, etc. The current top leaders of Hamas also include Sinwar's deputy and others. Hamas has not confirmed the death of Issa.