Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

'Israel' unable to eliminate Hamas, will have to withdraw: Reports

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Israeli Media
  • 22 Dec 2023 22:41
  • 23 Shares
5 Min Read

An Israeli journalist says the Israeli occupation forces will not be able to eliminate Hamas and are likely to have to withdraw before their objectives are completed.

  • x
  • 'Israel' unable to eliminate Hamas, will have to withdraw: Reports
    A screengrab from a video published by the Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media depicting the aftermath of a hit with an ATGM on an unarmored Israeli jeep in Gaza in December 2023 (Military Media)

The Israeli occupation forces may have to leave the Gaza Strip before their chief military goal, the complete elimination of the Hamas Resistance movement is achieved, the Israeli Ynet website said.

Israeli journalist and political and military affairs analyst Ronen Bergman wrote that he spoke with a senior government official on the condition of anonymity, with the latter going on a rant about the Israeli occupation's invasion of the Gaza Strip.

The official said he feels nauseous and disgusted after every talk he has with several officials from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, namely due to the instructions he receives regarding the ongoing invasion, whose goals the official said were the "destruction of the infrastructure, capabilities, and rule of Hamas", as well as the release of all the captives.

The invasion, the official said, was launched in a bid to pressure Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya al-Sinwar, to reach a prisoner swap deal and release the captives.

Reportedly, despite the many setbacks and failures, Israeli officials insist that the ground invasion should continue "both to achieve the first goal, the dismantling of the [Resistance] organizations, and also the second: to put enough pressure on al-Sinwar for him to capitulate and agree to a deal that Israel can accept."

The Israeli journalist argued that this is reminiscent of the situation before the 2006 war on Lebanon, wherein they had claimed in the days before the aggression that they had enough firepower to completely disable and destroy Hezbollah's capabilities to attack Israeli targets. 

The Israelis claimed that Hezbollah only had a few Katyushas and could not get to the Israeli occupation forces. In reality, he said, it turned out that there were Katyushas and much, much more.

"It is not about hindsight or a conclusion that one could only reach after the fact," he said, saying the media warned ahead of the invasion of Gaza against misleading the Israelis about the ease of conducting the land aggression.

He stressed that whoever planned for the Israeli occupation to maintain a presence in Gaza lacked intellect and general information about such events that had taken place previously either with the Israeli occupation or elsewhere around the world.

According to Bergman, the world will not allow the Israeli occupation to stay in Gaza; the international pressure, he said, accompanied by the number of soldiers killed in action "from a faltering army" at the hands of the Resistance fighters who managed to regroup "will oblige the Israeli forces to withdraw much, much earlier."

The military affairs expert did not at all shy away from saying that the Israeli occupation forces were likely to end their first round of armed combat without achieving the first goal of their aggression on Gaza.

Related News

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

US uses tariffs to strongarm India on Russia ties

He said the IOF would likely withdraw without completely destroying the Palestinian Resistance's rocket capabilities and significantly damaging its tunnel network.

Bergman noted that it had been clear since the beginning that the Israeli occupation forces would not be able to return their captives through the force of arms.

The Israeli occupation was senselessly bombing Gaza for nine days before Netanyahu's cabinet, and under immense public pressure, added the matter of bringing back the captives to the goals of the aggression. 

Israeli officials have been for months saying that a ground operation would help in the effort of taking back the captives. However, "the experience from weeks of fighting proves that the ground maneuver serving as an accelerator for the release of the captives [...] was not quite accurate."

He also touched on how many Israeli captives, upon their return, censured the Israeli government for how the indiscriminate bombardment endangered their lives.

The analyst claimed that al-Sinwar was expected to "fold" during the fighting in Khan Yunis, "when the sword was on his neck", and agree to terms he previously rejected. However, the complete opposite happened with the Israeli occupation forces exhausting their invasion when they were still far from the area.

"Israel folded, abandoned the original outline, and is ready for a completely different deal, perhaps like the one it rightfully refused [previously]," he added, about a prisoner exchange deal propped up by Hamas earlier.

In the conclusion, Bergman underlined that while the Israeli occupation managed to hurt the Hamas Resistance movement, it is still very far from eliminating it.

Some, he says, believe that the Israeli occupation may suddenly be interested in reaching a deal because its aggression might have to stop within two weeks due to pressure from the United States.

"Even the hawkish linemen in the security establishment should not oppose the deal; quite the contrary: a deal would be an optimistic end act to the war, much more pleasant than if the Americans simply told Israel to stop and withdraw," he maintained.

Upon asking the senior Israeli official what the game plan was now, he said that the terrible blow dealt by the Resistance on October 7 created a feeling of a need for revenge to the magnitude of what happened. 

The shock generated by the Resistance and the terrible need for revenge among the Israeli officials made them feel like they did not need to plan ahead and that this was something they were inoculated against.

The Israeli occupation, the official said, only has two choices at this point, and while he did not go into what they are exactly, he said they were "cruel" and "devilish".

  • United States
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Israel
  • Hezbollah
  • Israeli occupation
  • Lebanon
  • Gaza
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS