A senior military officer in Hamas told the BBC that the Palestinian militant group has lost control of nearly 80% of the Gaza Strip, with armed local families now filling the power vacuum.
The lieutenant colonel, who was injured during the first week of the war—which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack on Israel—said Hamas’ military, political, and security structures have been destroyed due to months of Israeli bombardment.
No longer on active duty due to his injuries, the commander shared a series of audio messages with the BBC, insisting on anonymity.
In the recordings, he described a crumbling Hamas infrastructure and the total breakdown of security in Gaza, which the group once governed before the conflict.
“Let’s be realistic—there is almost nothing left of our security apparatus,” he said. “About 95% of our leadership is dead, and most of our fighters have been killed. So really, what is stopping Israel from continuing this war?”
He added:
“Logically, it has to continue to the end. Everything is aligned—Israel is militarily dominant, the world is silent, the Arab governments are silent, criminal militias are everywhere, and society is collapsing.”
Last September, Israel’s Defense Minister declared that “Hamas as a military organization no longer exists”, stating it had transitioned into a guerrilla insurgency.
According to the ex-commander, Hamas tried to reorganize during the 57-day truce earlier this year, restructuring its political, military, and security wings.
But when Israel ended the ceasefire in March, it targeted Hamas’ remaining leadership, leaving the group paralyzed and in disarray.
