Hamas: What Did They Achieve from the 7th October 2023 Invasion of Israel?

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi congratulated the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas for its "significant victory over Israel in the conflict in Gaza."

(17th January 2025 Tehran Times)

Hamas: What Did They Achieve from the 7th October 2023 Invasion of Israel?

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Introduction

On the 17th January 2025 the State of Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire which would see a cessation of the conflict that began on the 7th October 2023 and the return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas and other Iranian backed terrorist groups on that day. The Israeli hostages would be returned for the release of hundreds of Palestinians who had been arrested in the past, sent to trial and convicted by an Israeli legal system for committing terrorist acts against Israel. None of those Palestinians that had been captured as prisoners on or after October 2023 would be released.

The Israeli government after the 7th October 2023 vowed to destroy Hamas and return the hostages that were illegally taken during the Palestinian terrorist invasion. Three thousand Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from the Palestinian Gaza Strip in October 2023. In total, 251 people, mostly civilians, were taken hostage, including children, elderly people, and soldiers. Also, it was reported that Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists brutally and savagely murdered 1,200 Israeli men, women and children.

Fifteen months of fighting between the State of Israel and Palestinian terrorists followed with only one small ceasefire in November 2023 which saw the release of fifty Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners that had been held by Israel. That ceasefire collapsed and the fighting continued.

After months of speculation in January 2024 the Levant saw another ceasefire which was agreed upon by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.

After the ceasefire was signed Hamas and the Islamic Republic of Iran claimed a huge victory over the Israeli’s and those who supported them.

The Islamic Republic of Iran claims Hamas the Victors

Tasnim News Agency: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has lauded the Palestinian resistance for showing fortitude and forcing the Zionist regime to retreat.

Tehran Times: Wild goose chase: Israeli army scrambles to achieve unattainable goals

Tehran Times: During the conversation with Khalil al-Hayya, deputy leader of Hamas's Political Bureau, Araghchi praised the indomitable spirit of the Palestinian people amid "the occupying regime's genocidal acts and unprecedented atrocities over the past 15 months."

Tasnim News Agency: The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force for coordination said the Zionist regime’s war against resistance forces has displaced one million Israelis.

Tasnim News Agency: Pointing to the Israeli regime’s humiliating acceptance of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force Brigadier General Esmaeil Qaani said the Zionists have sustained a big defeat.

Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA): Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, made these remarks in a post on his X account on Saturday on the occasion of the “Day of Gaza, Symbol of Resistance.”

“Fighting impunity of the occupying regime, which is constantly perpetuating war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, is a global responsibility under international law and international humanitarian law,” Baghaei wrote.

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA): Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his country will continue to support the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people’s legitimate resistance against the occupying Zionist regime

MEHR News Agency: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emsaeil Baghari “On the 'Day of #Gaza, Symbol of #Resistance', we commemorate the innocent Palestinian children, women, and men who have fallen victim, during the past 16 months, to 'colonial erasure' project by the occupying regime; We pay homage to the heroic resistance of the people of Gaza against genocide & apartheid,"

But, what did the Iranian backed terrorist group Hamas and their affiliates actually achieve?

Hamas

The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist political organisation with a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007.

Hamas is part of a regional alliance that also includes Iran, Syria and the group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which opposes US policies towards the Middle East and Israel.

The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip is composed of several key bodies. The political leadership has been led by figures such as Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and currently, Mohammed Sinwar. The government includes various ministries and administrative divisions that manage different aspects of governance, such as health, education, and public works. Additionally, Hamas maintains a significant military wing known as the Al-Qassam Brigades.

The Hamas government

The political rights and civil liberties of Gaza Strip residents are severely constrained by multiple layers of interference. The Islamist political and militant group Hamas governs Gaza without democratic legitimacy.

Hamas officials implement the Palestinian Basic Law and Palestinian Authority (PA) electoral laws selectively, and no open elections for any office have been held in Gaza since 2006. Since 2007, Gaza has functioned as a de facto one-party state under Hamas rule. The indefinite postponement of elections in Gaza has prevented any opportunities for a change in the political status quo.

The expiration of the presidential and parliamentary terms has left Gaza’s authorities with no electoral mandate, and in 2017 Hamas continued to govern unilaterally, including though its own ad hoc executive, legislative, and judicial bodies.

Hamas has been accused of corrupt practices related public services and its controls on the distribution of aid, which is crucial to daily life in Gaza given that about 80 percent of the population depends on international assistance due to the blockade posed by Irael and Egypt.

The media are not free in Gaza. The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) documented 35 press freedom violations by Palestinian authorities in Gaza during 2017, including eight arrests, several detentions and interrogations, and at least four physical attacks.

Freedom of religion is restricted.

Hamas has taken over the education system, aside from schools run by the United Nations, and has reportedly intervened in some cases to uphold its views on Islamic identity and morality.

Individual freedom for those who live under the Hamas rule and wish to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution is difficult. Intimidation by Hamas militants and other armed groups has some effect on open and free private discussion in Gaza, and the authorities monitor social media for critical content. Hamas significantly restricts freedom of assembly, with security forces violently dispersing unapproved public gatherings.

Since its takeover of Gaza, Hamas has exercised executive authority over the Gaza Strip, and it governs the territory through its own ad hoc executive, legislative, and judicial bodies

Supreme Administrative Committee, also known as the Gaza Administrative Committee, was the governance body established by Hamas to oversee Gaza's ministries in 2017.

The Gaza Strip has several key ministries that manage various aspects of governance under the Hamas administration. Some of the main ministries include:

Ministry of Health: Responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), officially the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, is responsible for managing healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip. It operates under the jurisdiction of the territory's Hamas government. As of the 26th October 2023, the GHM was the sole official source of data on Palestinian casualties in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.

Ministry of Education: Oversees the education system, including schools and educational policies.

Ministry of Interior and National Security: Handles internal security, police forces, and public order.

Ministry of Finance: Manages the financial and economic policies of the Gaza Strip.

Ministry of Public Works: Responsible for infrastructure projects and public utilities.

These ministries work together to administer and manage the daily operations and services in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip's security is mainly handled by Hamas through its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, internal security service, and civil police force. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades have an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 operatives.

On the 31st October 2023 the Times of Israel published a report and quoted Moussa Abu Marzouk[1]. In the report he said; Moussa Abu Marzouk, a prominent member of Hamas’s political bureau, has declared that the terror group that rules Gaza is not responsible for protecting the Strip’s civilians, and said that the vast tunnel network underneath the enclave is only for the protection of Hamas terrorists.

In an interview with Russia Today’s Arabic channel, Abu Marzouk was asked why Hamas has dug 500 kilometres (310 miles) of tunnels in the territory it has ruled over since 2007, but has never built shelters for civilians to hide during bombings.

“We built the tunnels because we have no other way of protecting ourselves from being killed in airstrikes. We are fighting from inside the tunnels,” the Qatar-based official said, according to a segment of the interview translated and shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

According to Israeli military estimates shared with Fox News Digital, Hamas, the Islamic terror group that sparked the war with Israel, had spent tens of millions of dollars — and the last 16 years as it governed Gaza — designing, digging and cementing an entire subterranean system rivalling London’s Underground or Paris’s Metro.

As of the 3rd March 2024 new estimates have indicated the construction of the Hamas subterranean network could have cost Hamas as much as a billion dollars. The group has poured resources over fifteen years not just into constructing tunnel passages, but for blast doors, workshops, sleeping quarters, toilets, kitchens, and all the ventilation, electricity, and phone lines to support what amount to underground cities.

As the governing body in Gaza, Fox News reported a large bulk of Hamas’ funds were levied from the Strip’s 2.2 million residents via ordinary taxes, even as aid agencies such as the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA; the Palestinian Authority, which governs Palestinians in the West Bank; and regional powers like Qatar provided crucial humanitarian services or built key infrastructure projects in the coastal enclave.

Hamas took taxes from its residents and let others pay for everything that, as a government, it was supposed to take care of, the report adding and describing how for most of the past two decades, Qatar supplied oil and funded humanitarian projects, the PA covered the costs of electricity, water, health and education, while UNRWA – including with funding from the U.S. – took care of a wide variety of needs for some 75% of the population considered refugees.

Iran has sent tens of millions of dollars to the Hamas military wing to help reconstruct tunnels used by the terror group in its operations against Israel, and to replenish its rocket arsenal, the Times of Israel wrote on the 5th April 2015 citing the Sunday Telegraph report, quoting intelligence sources.

Khaled al-Qaddoumi, Hamas’ representative in Iran was quoted in the Tehran Times and , revealed that Commander Soleimani planned with the resistance in Gaza to dig tunnels extending over an area of 400 Km2 under an area of roughly 40 Km2.

References had been made regarding the Gaza Strip being an open-aired prison. They were not mistaken. However, contrary to belief it was not Israel that were the guard force in the Gaza Strip it was the guards from the ruling body of Hamas.

What was Hamas's Goals for the 7th October 2023 Attack and Did They Achieve Them?

According to various sources, Hamas had multiple goals for this attack on the 7th October 2023. One primary objective was to inflict as many casualties as possible and take hostages. This was seen as a form of retaliation for what Hamas perceived as ongoing Israeli aggression and occupation. Additionally, Hamas aimed to disrupt the status quo and draw international attention to the Palestinian cause. Israel left the Gaza Strip on the 22nd September 2005, Israel's withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip to the 1967 Green Line, and the eviction of four settlements in Samaria, was completed.

The 7th October attack was also a response to what Hamas viewed as a lack of meaningful progress in addressing Palestinian grievances through diplomatic means. By launching such a large-scale and coordinated assault, Hamas sought to demonstrate its capability and resolve, hoping to force a change in the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The aftermath of the 7th October 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel has been multifaceted and devastating. While Hamas leaders have claimed the attack as a significant achievement, the broader goals of the organization remain contentious and far from fully realized. The attack led to a severe and ongoing conflict, with significant casualties and destruction on both sides. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened dramatically, and the region remains in a fragile state.

In terms of specific goals, Hamas has managed to draw international attention and disrupt the status quo, but the long-term impact and whether these actions will lead to any meaningful change in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are still uncertain.

Donald Trump’s top national security advisor Mike Waltz said flatly on the 19th January 2025 that Hamas militants will never again govern Gaza. “They cannot be a terrorist organization any longer, and they will never govern Gaza. Period.”

Casualty Figures

Hamas considers the age of eighteen as adulthood. Hamas fighters, particularly those in the Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades, generally fall within the age range of 16 to 35 years old. This age group is considered the prime fighting age, and many of the casualties in conflicts involving Hamas have been men within this range. The organization recruits and trains individuals within this age bracket to carry out their operations.

The analysis of the civilian deaths, based on data collected by the Palestinian International Middle East Media Centre[2], says that 79.7 percent of the dead are male, and 53.8% are men aged 16-35.

The death toll is heavily tilted toward fighting-age men. Children aged 5-9 make up 14.3% of the population, but 5.2% of the casualties, while young adults aged 20-24 make up 8.9% of the population but 24.2% of the casualties, with women making up only 9.5% of the latter group’s casualties, according to the report.

Given that Hamas is a direct party to the conflict, this creates an obvious conflict of interest when issuing casualty figures.

There are notable differences between the statistics reported by IMEMC News and those provided by the Hamas Ministry of Health. IMEMC News often cites figures from the Hamas Ministry of Health, but there have been concerns about the accuracy and reliability of these numbers. For instance, the Ministry of Health has been criticized for potentially inflating casualty figures and not distinguishing between combatant and civilian deaths

Fewer than one in every 50 articles mentioned that the figures provided by the Hamas MoH were unverifiable or controversial. Strikingly, the Israeli statistics had their credibility questioned in half of the few articles that incorporated them.

This report raises serious concerns that the Gaza MoH figures have been overstated. The data behind their figures contains natural deaths, deaths from before this conflict began and deaths of those killed by Hamas itself; it contains no mention of Hamas combatant fatalities; and it overstates the number of women and children killed.

Strengths and Losses

Hamas and other terrorist groups involved in the conflict against Israel have also had its strongest members of their leadership assassinated.

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote in September 2024 that “Hamas is weakened, but a prolonged guerrilla conflict looms.” They went on:

At the outset of the Gaza war, the Hamas army—the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, built with Iranian sponsorship—consisted of 5 brigades organized in 24 battalions. By last month, the Israel Defence Forces had “dismantled” 22 of these battalions, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. In mid-July, the IDF stated that it had killed “half” of the group’s military leadership, including 6 brigade commanders, over 20 battalion commanders, and about 150 company commanders (these figures likely indicate the killing of new commanders who replace eliminated ones).

According to the Counter Terrorism Guide, HAMAS probably had fewer than 20,000 fighters. It had between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters before the Israel-HAMAS conflict began in October 2023, which has reduced that number by thousands.

In late April 2024 Khalil al-Hayya, a top Hamas official, said that no more than 20% of Hamas's fighters had been killed.

US intelligence estimated in June 2024 that between 11,000 and 13,000 militants had been killed. Those figures are more than 20%.

The Palestinian health authority claims that 46,600 people have died in the conflict as of the 15th January 2025. The Palestinian health authority does not distinguish between Hamas fighters, other terrorist fighters and civilians.

Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement) Leadership Losses:

Major members of Hamas killed:

24th July 24 A senior Hamas member, Nael Sakhel who directed operations in the West bank killed.

31st July 2024 Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran

10th August 2024 Hamas security official killed by a drone missile in the Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian camp.

17th October 2024 Hamas chief Yaha Ya Sinwar eliminated

Displacement of the Gaza Strip Population

Before the 7th October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel the population of the Gaza Strip was estimated to be around 2.2 million people.

The conflict between Hamas and Israel has led to a massive displacement of Palestinians. According to recent reports, around 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza as of October 2024.

The cost of Rebuilding the Gaza Strip

The Arab News on the 18th January 2025 reported that; Rebuilding homes and infrastructure after Israel’s 15-month war on Gaza could take 40 years and cost more than $80 billion, aid agencies said on Friday.

The war has transformed the enclave into a rubble-strewn wasteland with blackened shells of buildings and mounds of debris. Major roads have been ploughed up. Critical water and electricity infrastructure is in ruins. Most hospitals no longer function.

The full extent of the damage will be known only when the fighting ends on the 19th January 2025 and inspectors have full access. The most heavily destroyed part of Gaza, in the north, has been sealed off and largely depopulated by Israeli forces in an operation that began in October 2024.

Using satellite data, the UN estimates that 70 percent of structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including over 245,000 homes.

Before anything can be rebuilt, the rubble must be removed — a staggering task in itself.

The war has littered Gaza with over 50 million tonnes of rubble, about 12 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. With over 100 trucks working full time, it would take 15 years to clear.

Let’s not forget to also take into account the cost of physical damages and economic losses due to the conflict in Lebanon which is estimated at US$8.5 billion, according to a new World Bank report (published 14th November 2024) that provides an initial assessment of the impact of conflict on Lebanon’s economy and key sectors. Hezbollah supported Hamas since the 8th October 2023.

Summary

Between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Palestinian terrorist group (with affiliates) Hamas since the 7th October 2023 have been responsible for the deaths of over 46,600 Palestinians, not including those who have been wounded in the conflict. The displacement of 1.9 million Palestinians who have now lost everything in the conflict.

Eighty billion dollars has to be found from somewhere to rebuild the Gaza Strip which Hamas and its financial backer, Iran, are hardly likely to contribute to. Iran is keen to back Hamas financially when it comes to fighting Israel with weapons, missiles, drones and rockets but rebuilding the Gaza Strip will not be part of their financial plan. Between Hamas and Iran, they were happy enough to waste funds on luxury tunnels to fight from but as for the rebuild of the Gaza Strip that is another matter.

Israel claims that it has lost 840 soldiers during the fifteen-month conflict with approximately 60,000 being displaced in the North of Israel due to Hezbollah unmanned aerial weapons.

Before the 7th October 2023 there were 85,000 Palestinians working in Israel from the West Bank, they no longer have employment. Over 18,500 from the Gaza Strip used to enter Israel daily before the 7th October 2023 but the permits were frozen by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi for security reasons following the devastating Hamas assault. No employment. Israel is already filling those vacancies with other nationalities.

In Israel, Israeli authorities estimate property damage to be at least 1 billion shekels ($273 million), with thousands of homes, farms and businesses damaged or destroyed. Moreover, the Israeli authorities said that “about 55,000 acres of forestry, nature reserve, parks and open lands in northern Israel and the Golan heights have been burnt down since the start of the war.” This is from the Hezbollah/Israel conflict.

The Israeli Defence Force lost less than one thousand service personnel in the conflict.

If Iran is kept away from the Gaza Strip in the future, then the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will have a decent opportunity for a better life.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has also suffered through the Israel/Hamas war. Twice Iran has attacked Israel. Twice they have failed. Israel has reciprocated with two successful attacks on Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has a strange view on what he calls a "significant victory over Israel in the conflict in Gaza."

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Paul Ashley

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Additional Information:

[1]??????? Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook is a Palestinian politician and senior member of Hamas who served as the first chairman of Hamas Political Bureau from 1992 until 1996 and deputy chairman of Hamas Political Bureau from January 1997 until April 2013, where he was succeeded by Ismail Haniyeh.

[2]??????? International Middle East Media Centre: The International Middle East Media Centre (IMEMC) is an independent news organization run by Palestinians living in the State of Palestine, working together with international journalists, who report on events in both Israel and the State of Palestine. The IMEMC is published in English, whilst briefly providing Spanish coverage in 2008, supported by volunteers, though this was stopped due to lack of funding.

IMEMC News (Independent Media Centre Palestine) is known for its focus on Palestinian perspectives and issues. While it aims to provide independent reporting, it's important to recognize that all media organizations can have inherent biases based on their perspectives and target audience. IMEMC News has been criticized by some for having an anti-Israel bias, but it also provides a platform for voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream media.