Mounting civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip will intensify global pressure on Israel to halt its military actions against Hamas, the terrorist group's leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar told fellow Hamas officials handling cease-fire talks in Qatar, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday as growing humanitarian crisis and destruction in Gaza are testing Israel’s relations with the U.S. and other global partners.
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According to the newspaper, Sinwar aims to emerge from his underground hideout after the fighting ceases and proclaim victory.
“We brought the Palestinian cause to the forefront. We have changed the status quo,” Sinwar said in a message delivered to Egyptian officials soon after the terrorist organization's deadly onslaught on southern Israeli communities on October 7.
The paper noted that Hamas has altered its tactics since the last cease-fire in November, now attacking Israeli troops with small squads armed with rocket-propelled grenades and retreating without engaging in gunfights. While this strategy reduces casualties on Hamas' side, it also proves less effective in inflicting casualties on Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, the civilian population in Gaza has bore most of the war's brunt. Israeli officials estimate that approximately 12,000 terrorists, including 1,000 on October 7, were killed during the conflict. Hamas leaders outside of Gaza have acknowledged the loss of 6,000 fighters. The U.S. estimates the actual number of casualties to be somewhere between these figures.
Hamas also used recordings of hostages, including children, calling for help to lure Israeli troops into ambushes. "Fighting the enemy is like a game of whack-a-mole,” said an IDF reservist in Khan Younis, noting the difficulty in defeating the terror organization.
Palestinian sources report that at least 25 people, mostly women and children, were killed overnight Thursday, with many more missing after Israeli strikes on refugee camps in central Gaza.