A senior Hamas official has recently disclosed that the terror group has lost control of 80% of Gaza. This may be tree, or — argues Israeli journalist Seth Frantzman — it may be false, a deliberate attempt to convince the Israelis that Hamas has been so beaten down, and represents so little a threat any more, that Israel can afford take a chance on puling its troops out of of almost all of Gaza and leaving the “powerless” Hamas in place. More on Hamas’ claim of weakness can be found here: “Admitting defeat? Why Hamas officials say the terror group ‘lost control’ of Gaza – analysis,” by Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, July 7, 2025:
The same day that ceasefire talks took place in Doha, a report emerged on the BBC that suggested Hamas had “lost control over most of Gaza.”
The timing of the report leads to questions. According to the report, “A senior officer in Hamas’s security forces has told the BBC the Palestinian armed group has lost about 80% of its control over the Gaza Strip and that armed clans are filling the void.”
However, if Hamas has lost control why is it able to negotiate from a position of strength in Qatar and continue to hold onto demands it has made for the last year?
The report said that the source of the claims is a “lieutenant-colonel” in Hamas’s “security forces.” Why would a high-ranking member of Hamas suddenly decide to leak these key details on the same day that ceasefire talks are ongoing?
The talks are aimed at presenting Hamas’s proposals to continue its rule in Gaza. The report would seem to weaken the Hamas position. However, the report could also strengthen the view of some Israeli officials that Israel has won in Gaza. If Hamas says it has collapsed, why not take its word for it and end the war and claim victory? Could the Hamas officer thus be leaking details that Hamas wants to be leaked?
The report said that the Hamas member said the group’s “command and control system had collapsed due to months of Israeli strikes that have devastated the group’s political, military and security leadership.”
The officer is presented as an anonymous source, and he left “voice messages” about the state of Hamas affairs. “The officer painted a picture of Hamas’s internal disintegration and the near-total collapse of security across Gaza, which the group governed before the conflict.”
The Hamas member claimed that 95% of Hamas leaders have been killed. “There’s barely anything left of the security structure.” How does Hamas continue to hold around 35%-40% of Gaza and rule over 2 million people?
Hamas also claimed it could deliver the hostages, according to reports of a possible deal. How can both things be true, that Hamas has no control, but controls 2 million people and the hostages?“Criminal gangs are everywhere, society is collapsing,” the source claimed. “About the security situation, let me be clear: it has completely collapsed. Totally gone. There’s no control anywhere,” he said….
Is this true? Does Hamas not still control all of the Israeli hostages? Doesn’t it continue to fight, and inflict casualties, on the IDF in northern Gaza? Has it not been able to disrupt the tremendous efforts of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to distribute aid while bypassing Hamas, by firing on people trying to receive food, which makes many Gazans too afraid to come to the four distribution centers?
Is this claim of Hamas’ near-total collapse, which has been fed to the media, including the BBC, by an unidentified senior military man in Hamas, a true reflection of the terror group’s current weakness, or is Hamas’ loss of control deliberately being greatly exaggerated, in the hope that the Israelis will take it as true and be more willing to leave in place a Hamas that barely controls “20% of Gaza” and is still being pummeled daily, not just by the IDF but by the powerful clans, including that led by Yasser Abu Shabab?
Kosh's Shadow says
Hamas has lost control of parts of Gaza, but if the IDF has to withdraw, they’ll regain control.
Taffy says
Israel must keep fighting until Hamas and its army unconditionally surrenders or every last Hamas member is dead.
OLD GUY says
I think every last Hamas member being dead is a good plan, however as long as Islam preaches its hate for the Jewish people another terrorist group will develop and continue killing the Jewish people and any other non-muslim/islamic followers.
Taffy says
If someone here actually knows, what is the exact relationship between Islamic Jihad and Hamas? And why did Hamas allow Islamic Jihad to remain when Hamas took control of Gaza? In contract, Hamas completely got rid of the Palistinian Authority.
Simone Fields says
That is a very good question. From how I see it they are just seen as rivals for power. They both want to wipe out Jews so they unite on certain things but Hamas has/had the power to keep them restricted in what they can do.
They have managed to turn the people in the West Bank ( Samaria/Judea) against the PA because of the corruption and got huge numbers there to become Hamas members and supporters.
Tony says
Islam must be destroyed as well as Hamas should be crushed for their terrorism, discrimination, and violence against Israel, America, and Non-Muslims.
Allah teaches and promotes terrorism, hatred, and violence by Muslims against Jews and Christians because Infidelity, Unbelief, and Blasphemy are a CRIME AGAINST ALLAH(Quran 9:29; 60:4; 98:6-7; 49:14-15; etc.). Demonic Allah in Quran 5:51 says, “O you who have believed[Muslims], DO NOT TAKE the Jews and the Nasara(Christians) as friends. They are friends to one another. And whoever among you takes them as friends, so surely he is of them. Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” See also Quran 2:63-65; 3:115; 4:144; 5:59-60, 82; 7:166. Further, Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…”
gravenimage says
Hamas Wants the World to Believe It Has ‘Lost Control’ of Gaza
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If this were true, why would Hamas be demanding that Israel, the UN, aid groups and others negotiate with them?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I will believe that Hamas has totally lost control the day they are in no position to say no to Israel about the hostages, and are forced to return every last one of them. Or at least tell the Israelis that they no longer have them in their own custody
Oh, and they don’t get to ask to remain in Gaza – neither them nor their people. Their people can be moved to other Arab countries – the ones most supportive of them like Qatar or Somalia or Yemen. Heck, put them among the Houthis of Yemen and then see how well they get along
bill says
Typo True not tree. Typical Muslim taqqiya anyway.
Lady of the lake says
I still pray every night that the Israeli government flattens every square piss-smelling inch of Gaza and expels every muslim to the beautiful country of Jordan which was specially created for them by the UN.
The UN must be urged to consider complying with their own decrees.
S says
In the past these Palestinians were sent to neighboring arab muslim countries and were kicked out militarily because they tried to over throw they’re guest countries government to run the place into the ground for themselves. These black heart consititutional death cult jihadis as individual citizens have vows to us they’re virgins to manufacture solders butcher jews, christians, americans. In the Koran they’re constitution and personal contract command them to either kill or enslave non-muslims. Secular atheistic and ultra orthodox along with homosexual pedophile perverts in drag funded by CARE and Soros are constantly rioting. Ironically all those idiots will be the first to get beheaded. Delivering the only language they understand is key. Constant harse merciless war and death. This is not genocide this is a demonstration of absolute necessity of the survival of the only and last historically Jewish homeland. It is us or them. That realism and not some misplaced ideological fantasy land. I am a Zionist non-Jewish atheist American. The writing is on the wall not some subjectified misinterpreted self serving identity text rewritten multiple times from backwood haunted superstition controling ignoramuses. But those are the excuses that antagonize all this nonsense. If you receive a free city all set to go and than you wreck it weaponize it to kill the builder then your asking for the ultimate pain of death.