Miles of Tunnels and Thousands of Terrorists: This Is what Hamas Looks like after the Deal

January 17, 2025

by: Yoav Zitun ~ Ynetnews

Friday, 17 January 2025 | Senior political and military officials are deliberately maintaining an air of ambiguity regarding the aftermath of the agreement reached Wednesday and the continuation of the fight against Hamas following the conclusion of Phase Two of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal. However, for the commanders involved in the protracted and complex mission, it is clear that further action will be necessary.

Despite the conspicuous silence from Israeli authorities, reports from foreign sources—left unchallenged by Jerusalem—and insights from former insiders suggest that Israel has acceded to Hamas’s demand for an effective end to the war. The war, which had already largely concluded operationally after maneuvering in Gaza ceased more than six months ago, appears to be formally ending with US assurances provided by both the outgoing and incoming administrations, as well as commitments from Egypt and Qatar.

A Two-Stage Process With a Fragile Ceasefire

Under the terms of the agreement, Phase One—spanning about six weeks—will see the release of 33 hostages. A negotiation window will follow this before implementing Phase Two, likely under a temporary ceasefire. These negotiations carry the risk of collapse, potentially reigniting hostilities sooner than anticipated, with dozens of hostages remaining in captivity.

Defense officials believe that Hamas or other rogue groups in Gaza likely will provide justification for resuming combat operations under any scenario, even if Phase Two is implemented. The IDF plans to withdraw from key areas, including the Netzarim Corridor, the Philadelphi Corridor bordering Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and the northern bypass corridor between Gaza City, Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia—territory currently under the command of the 162nd Division.

Once the agreement is fully implemented, Israeli forces are expected to remain in a buffer zone extending one to two kilometers [0.6 to 1.2 mi.] on average within Gaza territory. This area, where the IDF has leveled thousands of structures and agricultural fields over the past year, has largely been prepared above ground. Residents of nearby Israeli communities such as Kibbutz Nahal Oz and Moshav Netiv HaAsara now see significantly fewer Palestinian buildings on the horizon than before, particularly in areas like Shijaiyah and Beit Lahia.

The remaining task –— detecting and destroying tunnels leading to the subterranean barrier along the border—remains a hidden and critical challenge, primarily in southern Gaza. Engineering units from the 143rd Division are engaged in these operations daily, a mission they will continue long after the agreement is implemented.

Long-term Operations to Diminish Hamas

Looking ahead, military commanders anticipate years of ground operations in Gaza to scale Hamas back to its original, smaller size—a state comparable to its stature two decades ago, before the Palestinian Authority lost control of Gaza and prior to Israel’s disengagement. Hamas still retains an estimated network of tens of kilometers of tunnels, particularly in central and southern Gaza. These tunnels could be used to restart limited weapons production, conceal thousands of weapons and hide senior commanders.

Key Hamas figures like northern brigade commander Ezzedine Haddad and Rafah brigade commander Mohammed Shabaneh remain at large, poised to play central roles in rebuilding Hamas if given the opportunity. “You can’t dismantle a terror army that’s been built over 15 to 20 years in a single year,” one experienced brigade commander noted. Hamas has also recruited and armed hundreds of new members, including teenagers, to replenish its ranks.

 More than 15 months since the war began, Hamas finds itself at an unprecedented military low due to relentless IDF operations. Thousands of Israeli troops have been wounded in action, and over 400 have lost their lives in the campaign. Hamas’s command-and-control capabilities have been severely impaired, its factories for large-scale weapons production destroyed, and many senior leaders eliminated.

Yet Hamas continues to mount guerrilla attacks on Israeli troops in areas like Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun, launch drones sporadically, produce propaganda videos and maintain control over the local population—a critical factor in its survival.

Geographically, Hamas retains two brigades in Nuseirat and al-Bureij in central Gaza, which have been largely untouched—possibly due to the presence of hostages in the area. Additionally, the organization has partially restored military capabilities in Khan Younis, the largest city in Gaza’s south, where the IDF has not operated for over six months. Signs of recovery are also evident in Gaza City itself, north of the Netzarim Corridor, with approximately 100,000 residents still living in its partially ruined neighborhoods.

Military officials estimate that response times to new hotspots will be swift—just a few hours to locations like the western edge of the Philadelphi Route or the heart of Sabra neighborhood. However, the human and operational cost of clearing Hamas from these areas remains a pressing concern. The ongoing offensive in Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun, which has lasted four months, has already claimed the lives of 60 Israeli soldiers and wounded hundreds, even as brigades like Givati, Nahal, Kfir and 401 Armored achieve significant gains.

The IDF does not plan to mobilize the 30,000 soldiers who participated in last year’s peak operations, raising questions about future capacity. In Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, the Nahal Brigade has already cleared large swathes, demolishing hundreds of buildings while uncovering a maze of tunnels.

While the IDF projects rapid response times to potential threats, the real challenge lies in the time and cost—both human and material—required to fully neutralize Hamas. As Israel moves forward with the agreement, its military leadership braces for a long and arduous road ahead, one defined by complex operations in a volatile and unforgiving environment.

Posted on January 17, 2025

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on January 16, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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