GAZA CITY: Despite significant losses over the past 11 months, Hamas remained determined and claimed it has the resources to continue the Palestinian resistance movement against Israel, a senior Hamas official said in an interview with AFP on Sunday.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas leader, asserted that the group’s “resistance has a high ability to continue,” emphasizing that the conflict has resulted in both sacrifices and strategic gains.
Hamdan highlighted the Palestinian group’s recruitment efforts and the accumulation of experience despite the heavy toll of the conflict. “There were martyrs and there were sacrifices… but in return, there was an accumulation of experiences and the recruitment of new generations into the resistance,” he said.
Hamdan’s comments come amid conflicting reports about the state of Hamas’ military capabilities. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant recently claimed that Hamas “no longer exists” as a significant military force in Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7 has had devastating consequences for Gaza. The territory’s health ministry reports that the Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 41,206 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Domestic pressure has intensified on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a deal for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Efforts to negotiate a truce have stalled despite months of mediation by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. In the face of these stalled negotiations, Netanyahu has faced criticism from both domestic and international observers.
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The Israeli Prime Minister has maintained that Hamas has been unwilling to compromise and has vowed not to yield to external pressures regarding the remaining issues in the conflict.
Hamdan criticized the role of the United States, Israel’s key military ally, for not exerting adequate pressure on Israel. He accused the American administration of justifying Israeli evasion of commitments and failing to facilitate meaningful concessions that could lead to an end to the violence.
“The American administration does not exert sufficient or appropriate pressure on the Israeli side,” Hamdan said. “Rather it is trying to justify the Israeli side’s evasion of any commitment.”
Hamdan emphasized the need for a “joint Palestinian rule” in Gaza following the ongoing conflict. He said that any post-war scenario must be led by Palestinians themselves. “Clearly we said that the next day must be Palestinian… the day after the battle is a Palestinian day,” Hamdan said. He said that Hamas envisions a unified Palestinian leadership emerging once the conflict with Israel concludes.
Hamdan also addressed the recent missile attack by Yemen’s Houthis on central Israel, framing it as a significant development that highlights Israel’s vulnerability. “It is a message to the entire region that Israel is not an immune entity,” he said. He said that the attack demonstrates that even Israel’s advanced defense capabilities have limits.
The Houthi missile strike, which targeted central Israel, was viewed by Hamas as a “natural response” to Israeli actions in Gaza. Hamas lauded the missile attack, considering it a supportive gesture from the broader resistance movement.
In a statement, Hamas asserted that Israel “will not enjoy security” until it halts its military operations in Gaza.
