After October 7th, 'Israel's' stated goal was eliminating Hamas. Specifically, destroying the Al Qassam Brigade's ability to 1) leave Gaza 2) launch rockets 3) exist at all. On all three counts 'Israel' has lost. As spokesman Abu Obeida (who is notably not dead) said in late May, “despite their genocide war and indiscriminate destruction, our fighters have been and remain vigilant against the enemy force.” As Henry Kissinger (who thankfully is dead) said, “The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose.” And Hamas has not lost. 'Israel' is winning the genocide and losing the war.

Let me show you, using footage from Hamas HQ (largely via the Resistance News Network on Telegram). This is just a fraction of the information out there, which may be news to western audiences, but which is all over Arabic satellite TV and social media, ie the people that 'Israel' is supposed to be deterring.

Terms

Before we get into it, note that I'll use 'Hamas' and 'Al Qassam Martyrs Brigade' interchangeably though they are (having evolved in the crucible of assassination and infiltration) operationally separate. Also note that I, up to a point, use Hamas as the representative of the entire Resistance, which actually comprises many groups, most notably Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the PFLP (commies), the Mujahideen Movement, and even the armed wing of Fatah. You can read more about the whole Axis of Resistance here, but I think that's too much detail for this article. I also use the term White Empire to refer to 'Israel', America, Germany, the UK, Australia and all of the colonizers and colonized because they are, to us on the bottom, one phenomenon.

Tactics

First we'll discuss how Hamas is winning tactically, then strategically anon.

Tactically, Al Qassam can still penetrate 'Israel', they can still fire rockets, and their leadership still has full command and control. 'Israel' has won against hospitals and lost the plot to Hamas.

1) Ground

The main problem on October 7th—from the 'Israeli' perspective—was that the Palestinians got out of the Gaza 'envelope'. On that day, Hamas broke down walls, flew paragliders, disabled 'Israeli' spy cameras and towers, attacked their military outposts, and took hostages to exchange for the thousands of hostages 'Israel' holds in horrific conditions. The Resistance called this operation the Al Aqsa Flood, and has outlined their reasoning on it in this document, written in English for you. I encourage you to read it yourself.

This 'problem' is not solved. October 8th, 9th, 10th, nth have been attempts by 'Israel' to stuff the Palestinians back inside the envelope and burn it, but it hasn't worked. 'Israel' has razed the earth, but Hamas is literally underground. This completely upends all imperial counter-insurgency tactics. The Empire may figure out tunnels someday (or maybe not), but right now, they're completely flummoxed.

Hence, in a small but significant operation on June 6th, Al Qassam was able to pop up outside the perimeter fence, and hit the 'Israelis' all over again. This was really a disproof of concept. The conceptual border around Gaza that forms 'Israel's' psychological security blanket is still broken. And, indeed, southern 'settlers' have still largely not returned.

As Al Qassam said in a statement, “In a landing operation behind the (enemy) lines, the Al-Qassam Mujahideen were able to breach the fence and attack the headquarters of the enemy division operating in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.” The IOF acknowledged that one of their soldiers was killed, and three Palestinians martyred. This was a small operation but with big significance because of where it happened. Hamas is still pushing the envelope.

Inside Gaza, 'Israel' cannot secure an inch of ground. They can invade and occupy almost anywhere, but they can't hold anything. As the 'educated martyr' Basil Al-Araj wrote in his '8 Rules',

The Palestinian resistance consists of guerrilla formations whose strategies follow the logic of guerrilla warfare or hybrid warfare, which Arabs and Muslims have become masters of through our experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza. War is never based on the logic of conventional wars and the defense of fixed points and borders; on the contrary, you draw the enemy into an ambush. You do not stick to a fixed position to defend it; instead, you perform maneuvers, movement, withdrawal, and attack from the flanks and the rear. So, never measure it against conventional wars.

Since the Palestinian Resistance is underground, the IOF is always outflanked (in three dimensions). It doesn't matter what the map says if your enemy is taking the metro. Thus the Resistance lets the IOF take land, monitors them from underground, plans meticulous ambushes, and then pops out and executes them. There are countless videos like this, I'm just selecting a recent one (from May 22nd). Bear in mind that this happens every day that the 'Israelis' are in Gaza. As the Al Qassam video says:

At dawn on Tuesday, 22/5/2024, the fighters of Al-Qassam carried out a complex operation, setting up a tight ambush against a zionist special force that penetrated north of Beit Hanoun. The fighters detonated a Ra’adiya explosive device in the infantry force, a Shuath explosive device in the rescue force, and after 6 hours, after additional forces advanced to evacuate the dead and wounded, the fighters sniped 3 soldiers, including a senior officer.

See for yourself:

Again, I have seen countless videos like this. This selection is just based on recency, I can't even go through them all. Like the Nazis in Stalingrad, the Bizarro Nazis of 'Israel' have completely fucked themselves by reducing Gaza to rubble. They made a mess and now Hamas is rubbing their nose in it. There's no way they can find the tunnel entrances under all that shit, but Hamas can find them. This is a huge tactical problem because the IOF is always surrounded (in the third dimension, as mentioned). Hamas is literally playing 3D chess while the IOF is playing checkers.

In one crazy example that I already discussed a few weeks ago, multiple 'Israeli' tanks park in an area without securing it. Because they practically can't, their Air Force made such a mess of it. Hamas militants are able to emerge surrounded by tanks, literally touch one, and place explosives directly up its ass. You can see an IOF soldier right behind the tank, their situational awareness is null while the Al Qassam fighters are Metal Gear Solid.

Once they place the charges, they run back to the tunnels where another guy is waiting with an RPG (homemade Yassin 105s) to hit the other tanks, just as the charges go off. The guys look simple (they're just out there in tracky bottoms and sandals) but the coordination and planning is highly sophisticated. Al Qassam's bullet discipline is legendary. They make every shot count. Again, note that I (and everybody in the Arab world) have seen this happen over and over again. The IOF is hopeless against anyone who shoots back, and the Resistance is still shooting, mashallah. There is no deterrence when you look like dumbasses, which is how 'Israel' has looked for this whole campaign.

Despite the massacrely bloody rescue of four hostages (with American help, cynically disguised as an aid convoy), the flow of battle (not genocide) is still with the Resistance. As Hamas Political Bureau member, Izzat Al-Rishq said:

Despite the occupation's claim to have destroyed all Hamas brigades in Gaza, it was only able to liberate its captives through a difficult and complex operation and under massive firepower eight months after the start of the war, facing fierce resistance, which cost it heavy prices, contradicting its claims.

The resistance is still at the heart of the battle and has a lot up its sleeve, and the battle is back and forth. At a time when the occupation announces the release of four captives, after eight months of war, this is evidence of a strategic failure in achieving its declared goals.

Al-Qassam Brigades are still increasing their yield of enemy captives, and the best evidence of this is what happened in the qualitative operation in Jabalia at the end of last month. The enemy is trying hard to hide its real losses in the operation to free its captives, but the final word always belongs to the resistance. This operation will not change the final price the occupation will be forced to pay.

After eight months, three nukes worth of bombs, and the support of America and the whole White Empire, 'Israel' simply cannot bury the Palestinian Resistance. They can 'take' land, they can massacre innocents, but they cannot accomplish their stated goal of eliminating or even meaningfully degrading Hamas. All they've done is degrade their reputation and eliminate their own soldiers. How do you bury what's already underground? The IOF is just joining Hamas there, but in coffins.

2) Air (Artillery)

Hamas has no air force but artillery remains the 'god of war'. For decades, the Axis of Resistance (led, technologically, by Iran) has prioritized 'stand-off' missiles. The technology transfer has included manufacturing, many of these weapons are homemade, across the Resistance. Hamas has its own small but functional military-industrial complex underground, which is bonkers.

On October 7th, Hamas fired at least 3,000 rockets into occupied Palestine and haven't stopped firing since. These rockets are often shot down, but this is an advantage in and of itself. 'Israel' is spending millions of dollars to shoot down tens of thousands of dollars worth of rockets. Hamas is bleeding 'Israel's' coffers, overwhelming its Iron Dome, and the settlers around the Gaza 'envelope' still can't resettle. As I've discussed, 'Israel's' Iron Dome is simply broken in the north (against the more powerful Hezbollah) and it's increasingly ineffective in the south against Hamas. More and more of these rockets get through, and Hamas has strategically not used the good stuff yet.

Hamas has a wide range of missiles, with the number usually denoting the range (the M90, for example, goes 90 km). Some of the rockets (as you can see in the 'promo' video above) are quite sophisticated, but even the small mortars are a constant irritation to the IOF. Just look at this Al Qassam fighter, having a coffee while reloading his mortar. These guys can do this shit all day, and 'Israel' can't do shit about it.

As the Palestine Chronicle says, “The video has predictably ignited Arabic social media with comments about the bravery of Palestinians, 242 days after the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The video also contains a message to the Israelis, that the Resistance is prepared to fight a long war, and that repelling invading Israeli forces in Gaza has now become a routine, as in drinking a cup of coffee in the morning.” 

Artillery is the god of war, and Hamas is unbroken and unbowed. Their artillery is still firing and increasingly hitting, as the Iron Dome becomes the Iron Sieve from sheer exhaustion.

3) Command and Control

The Al-Qassam's military leadership of Mohammed El-Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and spokesman Abu Obeida are household names across the Middle East, and they're still living. This is a huge problem for 'Israel'. Many field commanders and soldiers have been martyred—as you can see, these operations are insanely risky—but the military leadership (within Gaza) is completely intact. 'Israel' has responded by assassinating Hamas leaders abroad or killing the political leadership's children and grandchildren in Gaza, but they're just mindlessly lashing out. Hamas's brain-trust inside Gaza is still going strong.

Like the Americans when they invaded Iraq, the 'Israeli's' have released a deck of playing cards with high-value targets.

This guy is supposed to be Mohammed Shabana, a field commander in Rafah, but it is actually Mohamed Shabana, an Egyptian sports writer. A football commentator. This has made 'Israel' a laughingstock around the Arab world which, again, is the opposite of what they're trying to do. Machiavelli said a prince could be feared or loved, but they cannot be laughed at. This is fatal to anyone trying to project power, and 'Israel' is just a killing joke right now.

I won't go on in this section because what can I say? The Al Qassam leadership is completely intact in Gaza. Far from decapitating them, 'Israel' hasn't harmed a hair on their bodies. Though it does look like Abu Obeida has lost a bit of weight, peace be with him someday, inshallah.

'Israeli' Strategy

So far I've been analyzing 'Israel's' stated goal which is, of course, bullshit. 'Israel's' actual goal is ethnically cleaning Palestine once and for all. Genocide most foul. As Abu Obeida said, ‘genocidal war and indiscriminate destruction.’ So now let's look at what 'Israel' is actually doing, and how they're still fucking that up.

'Israel' is completely open about their genocidal intentions in Hebrew and open enough in English. Just hit auto-translate on a Zionist's post if you want to singe your eyebrows off. As 'Israel's' Minister of National Insecurity Itamar Ben-Gvir has said when asked “Dad, what is the solution for Gaza?”

Occupation, settlement, and encouragement of migration. Only in this way can we solve the problem of Gaza. To occupy all the land, to settle in all the land, and—of course—to encourage the voluntary [?] migration of as many people as possible to other countries. We need to live in security.

As 'Israel's' Prime Monster Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of their genocidal campaign (October 28th). “Remember what Amalek did to you. We remember and we fight.” Amalek is an Old Testament concept taken out of context by a criminal, and the relevant part is this:

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’

I fear Allah (just the Arabic word for God) and I apologize for taking this out of context. Netanyahu is trying to make it look like he has some biblical command, while he's really just trying to duck corruption charges. What 'Israel' is doing is really just colonialism 101. The British did this in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka, ask anybody in the south and they probably have some story like this. Killing everyone and salting the earth. The general colonial policy in case of rebellion is massive retribution, kill or subjugate/enslave everyone. 'The seed of Amalek' was really just mendacious marketing, and it worked within 'Israel'. Soldiers sing about it before committing war crimes and this genocidal rap song went to #1 in Israel. Those racist rappers say:

We brought the whole army on you and I swear there will be no forgiveness
Tffi, the children's of Amalek
All the units are ready? (Listen up)

The rappers added death threats to Mia Khalifa and Dua Lipa for good measure. This seems bonkers but 73% of 'Israelis' said (in March/April) that their military response had been 'about right' or 'not gone far enough'. Once you separate out Arabs trapped inside, it's even worse. Only 4% of Jewish 'Israelis' think the military response has 'gone too far'. This is a population in the throes of genocidal mania even more than Nazi Germany, and they've dragged Hip Hop into it.

Again, just hit auto-translate on random 'Israeli' posts if you want to strafe your eyeballs. Genocidal rhetoric is quite common and open in Hebrew and they don't even try to hide it in English. The western media does, but the 'Israeli's' don't give a fuck. As the former header of the occupation National Insecurity Council, Giora Eiland, wrote:

The international community warns us of a humanitarian disaster in Gaza and of severe epidemics. We must not shy away from this, as difficult as that may be. After all, severe epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip will bring victory closer and reduce casualties among IDF soldiers. And no, this is not about cruelty for cruelty’s sake, since we don’t support the suffering of the other side as a goal but as a means.

Thus actual aim of 'Israel' in Gaza today is the same as their aim since the Nakba began in 1947. Kicking the Palestinians out and taking their land. Hitting them so hard they never complain again. The truth is not that complicated. But the lie is.

I mention this not to point out that 'Israel' is hypocritical or heinous, though they are. I mention this so that we understand the strategic thinking behind the tactics. 'Israel's' tactics make no sense if you believe that they're actually trying to eliminate Hamas, but they make total sense once you realize that they're attacking hospitals, homes, and food/water supplies on purpose. 'Israeli' is not following the Clausewitzian strategy of engaging and annihilating the enemy's forces. They are trying to annihilate Gaza entirely. To understand this as a continuous 'Israel' policy just listen (or, ideally, don't) to this hate crime recorded by children and posted by their national broadcaster:

Autumn night falls over the beach of Gaza
Planes are bombing, destruction, destruction
Look the IDF is crossing the line
to annihilate the swastika-bearers

In another year there will be nothing there
And we will safely return to our homes
Within a year we will annihilate everyone
And then we will return to plow our fields

This is actually an updated version of a 1948 poem, which they've made explicitly genocidal instead of implicitly so. As you can see the Nakba (catastrophe) is still going and culminating in the genocide of Gaza. October 7th was the beginning of the end, not the beginning at all.

I mention the difference between stated and actual goals because it's a big reason why 'Israel' has not eliminated Hamas. They're not trying to. I suppose the logic is that Hamas is a people's movement therefore kill all the people, but this just isn't practical, to be quite bloodless about it. Complete genocides are basically impossible in the modern era. 'Israel' has certainly killed or wounded at least 10% of the population of Gaza, but there's still 90% to go! And then the West Bank after that, and the people in occupied Palestine, and the surrounding diaspora. In addition to being evil, this genocide is just not feasible. Sadism is not, in itself, a strategic position, but that's what 'Israel' is standing on.

Hamas Strategy

Hamas, on the other hand, is a rational actor. They have their guns and they're sticking to them. As Hamas's famously unkillable Khaled Mashal said in the past,

Dear sister, nations are not easily liberated. The Russians sacrificed 30 million people in World War II, in order to liberate it from Hitler's attack. The Vietnamese sacrificed 3.5 million people until they defeated the Americans. Afghanistan sacrificed millions of martyrs to defeat the USSR and then the US. The Algerian people sacrificed six million martyrs over 130 years. The Palestinian people are just like any other nation. No nation is liberated without sacrifices.

Blood sacrifice seems to be required for true liberation. I wish it wasn't so, but that's how it goes. If you watch interviews with Hamas members these are dudes who were into the gym, or studying, or entirely normal things once. They have simple dreams, but they were born into a nightmare. Many of them are orphans, the children 'Israel' didn't kill in previous incursions. Before you condemn them A) shut the fuck up and B) ask yourself, what would you do in their situation? One of my favorite quotes (which I've seen on the tents of student protest in the US) is “whoever is in solidarity with our corpses but not our rockets, is a hypocrite and not one of us.”

Hamas is just painfully aware that this is what liberation costs. The pages of history are unfortunately written in blood. Even Americans have a dim mythical awareness of this. Thomas Jefferson said, “the tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is its natural manure.” Jefferson was discussing suppressing a debt rebellion, but him and Kissinger can still make some pertinent points from their new appointments in Hell. Kissinger said that “the conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose” and Hamas has not lost. This is a victory in and of itself. By denying the whole White Empire a monopoly of violence for eight months now, Hamas has won.