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| Member of the Palestinian independence movement Hamas | Photo: Reuters |
The Palestinian independence movement Hamas has recruited an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fighters since the start of the war with Israel, according to two members of Congress briefed on U.S. intelligence, which says the Iranian-backed Hamas militants pose a permanent threat to Israel.
The sources say that according to US intelligence, between 10,000 and 15,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since Israel began its offensive against Hamas on October 7, 2023. No report has been published on this latest US official estimate.
A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began on Sunday after 15 months of fighting that has reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble and heightened tensions across the Middle East.
Donald Trump was sworn in as US president on January 20. Sources familiar with US intelligence updates from the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden said that while Hamas has been able to recruit new members, most of them are young and untrained. They are being used only for security purposes.
Earlier on January 14, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US believes that Hamas has recruited as many fighters as it has killed in Palestine in the past 15 months. He warned that this is a "recipe for perpetual war." He did not elaborate. However, according to Israeli data, the total number of deaths in Gaza is around 20,000.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing, said last July that Hamas had been able to recruit thousands of new fighters.
In the days following the ceasefire, Hamas has proven to be deeply entrenched in Gaza, despite Israel's pledge to destroy the militant group. The Hamas-controlled territory has quickly re-established security and some basic services have resumed in some areas. All basic services in these areas were destroyed by Israeli attacks.