• Hamas fighting force reduced by half - US officials
    • Group relying on ambushes, improvised bombs, they say
    • Such tactics could sustain a lengthy insurgency
    • ‘There is no quick fix,’ says Israeli military

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel’s attempts to take control of Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters. The enclave’s ruling group has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to three senior U.S. officials familiar with battlefield developments, down from American estimates , opens new tab of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign. Hamas fighters are now largely avoiding sustained skirmishes with Israeli forces closing in on the southernmost city of Rafah, instead relying on ambushes and improvised bombs to hit targets often behind enemy lines, one of the officials said.

  • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Not all people, don’t be naive. Many want the Jews to disappear and don’t give two F’s what happens to them.

    Remember when people chant “from the river to the sea” , what it actually means.

      • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Maybe that’s where it originated, but it’s not why they chant it now.

        They want Jews gone from that area, one way or another.

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          They’ve explained themselves so many times and yet you still somehow know better than them what they’re protesting for. Amazing.

          Would you call me antisemitic for saying Israel’s leadership is genocidal?

          • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Please. Most protestors don’t know anything in the USA/Canada and are brainwashed students.

            Look, Israel is in a war. Civilians get killed unfortunately. Some soldiers are acting out of line and doing what they want based on hatred, and they should be held accountable.

            Is Bibi also targeting civilians? Yes and no, it’s hard to say directly.

            Don’t believe everything either side tells you.

                • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
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                  5 months ago

                  Well that’s probably Twitter being shit because it doesn’t work for me either. Basically mehdi Hasan quoting netenyahu, cabinet members, and generals about how they have to kill everyone in Gaza. Referring to amalek, specifically in the case of bibi. If you understand the reference you know how significant that is. He didn’t even bring up any Ben-gvir quotes and he’s the worst of the bunch.

                  • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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                    5 months ago

                    I read that, and it’s not in the context you believe (or were told to believe).

                    Amalek has always been used to reference the enemies as a political tool, it doesn’t mean kill civilians, unlike Hamas’ charter openly states.

            • Caveman@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              Some civilians get killed unfortunately. When you already killed 2% of the population, half of which are children, it’s genocide.

            • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              Do you want to discuss the over 500 incitements of genocide? When it comes to intent, Israel’s intent has been documented more than most

              Since the commencement of our investigative efforts on October 7th, 2023, Law for Palestine has meticulously amassed a compelling body of evidence exposing the proliferation of incitement to violence and genocidal intent perpetrated by Israeli officials and public figures, against Palestinians. Our documentation encompasses over 500 incitements of violence and genocidal incitement, appearing in the forms of social media posts, television interviews, and official statements from Israeli politicians, army personnel, journalists, and other influential personalities.

              https://law4palestine.org/law-for-palestine-releases-database-with-500-instances-of-israeli-incitement-to-genocide-continuously-updated/

                • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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                  5 months ago

                  Except, it’s not. Look for yourself

                  Hamas 1988 Charter and Revised 2017 Charter

                  The 1988 Charter, which is certainly unreasonable in its fundamentalism with Sharia Law and is antisemitic, does not call for the extermination of all Jewish People. Hamas wants an end to Israel as an Apartheid State, not an extermination of all Israelis. Under Ahmed Yassin in the 1990’s, truces were offered in exchange for Israeli to withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank to the 1967 borders. The 2017 Revised charter explicitly accepts a Two-State Solution of the 1967 Borders. Check Article 7 and 13 of the 1988 Charter to see yourself, compare it to Article 20 and 24-26 in the revised charter.

                  • secretlyaddictedtolinux@lemmy.world
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                    5 months ago

                    I like reading your posts because you are highly intelligent and include sources in them.

                    However, I am not sure if these documents mean that they wouldn’t destroy Israel if they could. If all the Jewish adults and children of Israel were on an Island and each Hamas leader had a button that would destroy the island and everyone on it if pressed, I think all the Hamas leaders would probably press their buttons.

                    I am also still scared of Sharia law because I am part of the LGBT community and that makes me scared of Muslims because sometimes when they get a majority, Sharia law ensues. I am scared enough that I can’t have rational views on this topic.

                    In all honesty, you are one of the smartest and most knowledgeable people posting on here. Have you ever thought of creating a post just putting forward what you personally think should happen in this situation, with specific ideas for the various government leaders to follow, like an actual specific plan for multiple countries to follow that would be politically feasible? And possibly address concerns that people could have and just reply to them in advance so it would be politically feasible?

                    Perhaps other people have done this, I don’t know. I’m still too biased to feel like I can have an accurate opinion on this. I know your posts have been more critical that offering suggestions, but I think you are so smart you could actually craft a suggestion on how to solve this whole mess in a politically feasible way that would perhaps appeal to people, laying out specific solutions, time-tables, etc, keeping in mind political feasibility (and addressing concerns of LGBT people and women if you want).

                    You seem so smart. Are you a journalist or have a doctorate? I can sense your intelligence is formidable. I am not joking when I am saying that, you seem brilliant to me in the little I’ve read, which doesn’t mean I agree with your positions. A hard part of change is not just convincing people but also political feasibility. I am still very scared of a Muslim or more Muslim word. I don’t honestly think as a LGBT person my rights will be preserved if Muslims become a larger percent of the population. It shouldn’t affect discussions like this, people should have rights no matter what, but it’s hard to sympathize with a group of people who would potentially drop me off a building.

                  • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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                    5 months ago

                    Lol dude, come on, don’t be naive.

                    They changed Jews to Zionists only because of the heat they were getting from others.

                    Their intent remains the same. They don’t differentiate between the two, because if they did, October 7th would have never happened.

    • filister@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Correct me if I am wrong but it sure as hell seems like this is the aspiration of Israel to slowly evict all Arabs and Palestinians out of Israel or make their life hell, in order for them to revolt and give them an excuse for ethnic cleansing.

      And let’s not forget that Israel prior to its founding had less than 10% of the population in modern day Israel.

      So stop pretending that Israel is only fighting for self-defence and see what’s happening in the West bank and how they actively are trying to make the lives of all non Israeli citizens unbearable. Occupying the West Bank, uprooting olive trees, building checkpoints. Sorry but I am pretty sure if you were personally a subject to those restrictions you wouldn’t be happy either.

      • _sideffect@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Yes, you’re wrong.

        Many Palestinians live within Israel peacefully. Many other Muslims do as well.

        Imagine a jew even trying to set foot in Gaza where Hamas is in control.

        They even block Jewish people from entering the temple, whereas any Muslim can freely explore Israel.

        It seems you’re all for open borders in all countries, and that’s just a recipe for disaster.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Yes that’s why israel has segregated roads for Palestinians and every major human rights organisation calls israel an Apartheid. Because you can just make shit up.