Report: Hamas Is Really Struggling
Hamas faces a severe leadership crisis due to Israeli assassinations of figures like Haniyeh and Sinwar, hampering its decision-making and control over Gaza. The terrorist group’s actions, including prolonging negotiations and causing civilian suffering, are being undermined by IDF operations targeting its infrastructure.
A Palestinian source has revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas, the terrorist organization responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251, is reeling from a leadership crisis triggered by Israel’s targeted assassinations of key figures like Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar. Since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, 2025, Hamas has struggled to make independent decisions, with its current leadership council unable to fill the void left by these losses. The group’s weakened state has prolonged ceasefire and hostage negotiations, as it seeks extensive consultations with factions like Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to secure broad Palestinian approval, a stark contrast to the swift, unilateral decisions under Haniyeh and Sinwar, who often dismissed other factions’ input.
Senior Hamas officials admitted, “The assassinations left a void in terms of presence, charisma, and decision-making authority,” acknowledging Haniyeh’s unmatched diplomatic skill and political influence. “However, this does not diminish the value of the current leadership, which is working to reach an agreement that preserves Palestinian rights, the same goal Haniyeh and Sinwar were pursuing in the final period before their assassination.”
Yet, Hamas’s grip on Gaza, where it has looted 50% of aid trucks per UNRWA reports and held 50 hostages as of August 2025, continues to exacerbate civilian suffering, with 60,000 deaths reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. IDF operations, including the destruction of 1,500 kilometers of tunnels since 2023, have decimated Hamas’s infrastructure, with over 30 senior leaders killed. Social media on X celebrated Israel’s success, with one user stating, “Hamas is crumbling under IDF pressure, justice for Oct. 7 victims!” Israel’s relentless campaign against terrorism is dismantling Hamas’s ability to govern, with Gazans to bearing the brunt of the group’s reckless rule.