On January 14, a few days before the ceasefire in Gaza took effect, the now-former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed a crowd at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC.
Over the last 15 months, Blinken has played a crucial role in supporting Israel’s military campaign against Gaza, a campaign that human rights organisations have described as genocidal, in which at least 47,300 Palestinians have been killed.
The goal for Israel, as stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the total defeat and elimination of Hamas. But speaking in one of his final appearances as Secretary of State on January 14, Blinken struck a different tone.
“We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost,” Blinken said. “That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war.”
Hamas has undoubtedly been hit hard in the last 15 months, analysts and experts told media. It has likely lost thousands of fighters, including its military leader Yahya Sinwar, and, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), its weapons stockpile is depleted.
But as the dust settles in Gaza, it is clear that Hamas has not been eradicated and still has a presence in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas fighters have prominently featured in the handover of Israeli captives as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel. And members of the Hamas-run civil administration have resumed work. If there is any authority in Gaza, it still appears to be Hamas.
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