'All the talk about Hamas disappearing is disconnected from reality', says Hamas expert - 103FM

 

by 103FM

Hamas plans to take over the Palestinian Authority within five to ten years, Hamas expert Eyal Ofer warned.

 

Hamas members stand at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025.

(photo credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)

After two years of war in the Gaza Strip, Hamas still exists, controls the strip, and holds Israeli hostages. Eyal Ofer, expert on Hamas's economy, spoke about the implications of the war on the terrorist group's standing on 103Fm Sunday. 

Ofer said that Israel is paying a very high price in the international arena for its recent fighting, arguing that "we could have been in a better position if we had not let these 800,000 return to the Gaza Strip in the first place," referring to the civilians who have evacuated Gaza City following Israel's recent ground invasion.

Ofer also discussed the possibility of Hamas's acceptance of a proposal for ending the war. "This is the most important thing for Hamas. I base myself on open information from what appears on Gazan channels," he explained. "They are talking amongst themselves. According to their reports, Israel is bombing two main areas: one is in the northwest of the city in the Shati refugee camp, and the other is in the southeast of the city in the Sabra camp." 

He said that it is interesting that in the last 24 hours, reports stated that two clans had received offers from Israel to be recipients of humanitarian aid, like Abu Shabaab, leader of the Popular Forces, an anti-Hamas armed group operating in Gaza. 

According to Gazan sources, the clans rejected the offers and published statements that they were with Hamas. 

Hamas members from the Qassam brigade, the military wing of Hamas, attend the funeral of Mazen Faqha in Gaza City, Saturday, March, 25, 2017. (credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)

Ofer explained that Hamas's rule has been "crumbling for nearly six months" due to Israel's elimination of "all the people of civilian life, financial people, and police officers." 

However, Hamas has garnered more than 10,000 fighters, with some reports saying 20,000. There are unconfirmed reports that many of them are being transferred, carrying weapons, to al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone, and Deir al-Balah, a central Gazan area. 

Thinking in the long term 

Ofer urged Israeli officials not to think only in the short term. 

"Hamas has said it clearly," he stated. "It understands that formally, it will not remain in power in Gaza. In the short term, Hamas will agree to expert committees. They will say, 'We will not act against the Arab forces that will enter,' but Hamas always thinks in the long term." 

"They actually plan to take over within five to ten years," he concluded. "All the talk about Hamas disappearing is disconnected from reality." 

103FM

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-868919

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