• 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.worldEnglish
      216·
      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.worldEnglish
        161·
        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.worldEnglish
          215·
          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.worldEnglish
                4·
                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.

          • Caveman@lemmy.worldEnglish
            111·
            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.worldEnglish
            7·
            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.worldEnglish
                9·
                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.worldEnglish
                  1·
                  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.

                  • Keeponstalin@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    2·
                    5 months ago

                    I am an advocate for a Bi-National One-State Solution, where Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights, including right of return. Where Historic Palestine can be a safe haven for all Jewish, Christian, and Islamic people from persecution. A Two-State Solution is no longer viable due to the land grabbing of Israel, that has divided the West Bank into hundreds of isolated enclaves surrounded by military checkpoints and violent settlers.

                    I do not think Hamas nor Fatah should govern the Palestinian people, both are corrupt for different reasons. However I don’t think any meaningful change in governance can happen until an end to the Apartheid/Occupation, for the same reason of how Fatah and Hamas are corrupt. A free and fair election cannot happen under an Apartheid State.

                    Your fear is understandable, however I think it is misplaced. Anti-LGBT+ is shared between all conservative reactionary governments, regardless of religion. American conservatives are just as anti-LGBT+ as any middle eastern conservatives for the most part. Neither Muslims or Arabs are monolithic, there are still advocates for LGBT+ rights in middle eastern countries. In Palestine, for example, there is ASWAT and JOH. Israel is a little better for LGBT, however there has been some pinkwashing.

                    Right now, no Palestinians in the Occupied Territories have rights, neither basic human rights nor civil rights. I’m an advocate for all people to have those kinds of rights, regardless of whether they agree with all my views or not. So, even if the majority of Palestinians are anti-LGBT, I will still advocate for them to have those rights. I will also advocate for LGBT+ rights within Palestine.

                    I do have a Bachelor’s in STEM, however I’m not a historian. A year ago I had no idea about the situation in Palestine/Israel, nor the history. The best resource I’ve found by far for extensive research on the history and on-the-ground investigations are New Historians and Human Rights Organizations respectively. Here’s a list of the ones I recommend.

                    List of Books by New Historians:

                    If you don’t have access to a library or want to view these for free first, they can all be found on the Library Genesis. I believe a few are on audible too

                    The Concept of Transfer 1882-1948 - Nur Masalha

                    A History of Modern Palestine - Ilan Pappe

                    The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine - Ilan Pappe

                    The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories - Ilan Pappe

                    The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine - Rashid Khalidi

                    The 1967 Arab-Israeli War: Origins and Consequences - Avi Shlaim

                    The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-development - Sara Roy

                    New Historian Aricles on One vs. Two State Solution:

                    How Avi Shlaim moved from two-state solution to one-state solution

                    ‘One state is a game changer’: A conversation with Ilan Pappe

                • _sideffect@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  14·
                  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.