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Gaza – Hamas is adapting to a protracted conflict with Israel, viewing a long-term “war of exhaustion” as its primary strategy given stalled ceasefire negotiations and a lack of viable political solutions, according to assessments by security analysts.
Despite sustaining critically important damage during repeated Israeli military operations – including “Operation Guardian of the walls” in May 2021 and subsequent escalations – Hamas maintains operational capacity due to its deeply rooted presence within Gaza’s social fabric, its provision of essential social services, and its ideological commitment. The group’s resilience is particularly notable given the challenging conditions in the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade sence 2007, restricting the movement of people and goods.
“They’re not strong,” stated Dr. Boaz Milshtein, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center herzliya, “But they’re still standing. And that alone tells us something about how deeply embedded they are in Gaza’s reality.” Milshtein, a former head of the Palestinian affairs Department in Israeli Military Intelligence, highlighted Hamas’s ability to operate effectively even within a highly contested and largely ungovernable environment.
Ataya, whose full name was not provided, views the current situation as leaving Hamas with limited options. The absence of a discernible political process, coupled with the failure of mediation efforts – often led by Egypt and Qatar – has pushed the institution towards a strategy focused on gradually eroding Israel’s stability through sustained, albeit lower-intensity, conflict. This strategy aims to impact Israel’s international image and its internal sense of security.
Hamas’s continued functionality is attributed to its multifaceted role within Gaza. Beyond its military wing, the Izz ad-din al-Qassam Brigades, the organization provides healthcare, education, and welfare services to the population of over 2.2 million palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This social infrastructure bolsters its support base and complicates efforts to dismantle the group. the organization’s leadership, including figures like Yahya sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in Gaza, have prioritized maintaining this social role alongside military resistance.
The long-term implications of Hamas’s “war of exhaustion” strategy include the potential for continued cycles of violence, economic hardship for Gazans, and a prolonged stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Analysts suggest that a sustainable resolution requires addressing the underlying political and economic grievances that fuel support for Hamas
