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Source: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/palestinian-territories/end-hamas
The End of Hamas
(Foreign Affairs) Jaser Abumousa - The consensus among analysts is that Hamas is down, but hardly out. But in truth, Hamas's two-year war with Israel has decimated the organization beyond the point of recovery. It may still be more powerful than other groups in Gaza. But Israel's bombing campaigns and invasion have cost Hamas essential military infrastructure, torn apart its leadership, and cut it off from its patrons. As a result, the organization lacks the power to actually rule Gaza. It is suffering from political paralysis and facing financial disaster. Finally, it has lost public support: many Gazans blame the group for starting a war that has resulted in the destruction or damage of 90% of the homes in Gaza. Despite these facts, members of Hamas perpetuate the idea that Hamas is alive and well for an obvious reason: they do not want to admit that they lost. Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has killed an entire echelon of Hamas leaders. This includes its former top officials: Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, and Mohammed Sinwar. In May 2026, Israeli forces assassinated Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas's military wing. 11 days later, it killed Haddad's replacement, Mohammed Odeh. Israel has also taken out hundreds of midlevel commanders. It has removed Hamas's entire nervous system. The safe houses, tunnels, and countersurveillance architecture that once made Hamas's senior leadership elusive are now gone. The writer is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute and a Senior Policy Adviser at the International Peace Institute.