NYT: “Israel” Failed to Destroy Hamas Tunnels, Group will Reconstitute

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

The New York Times highlighted “Israel’s” failure to destroy tunnels dug by Hamas Resistance movement below the Gaza Strip, saying the underground passages will allow the resistance group to “survive and reconstitute” after the ongoing “Israeli” aggression.

Citing current and former US officials, the daily reported on Monday that “Israel” has not been able to dismantle Gaza’s extensive tunnel system that runs for hundreds of miles, at points reaching 15 stories below ground.

“The system contains larger complexes of underground rooms, used for command posts,” it added.

“Despite Hamas’s heavy losses, much of its top leadership in Gaza remains in place, ensconced in a vast underground network of tunnels and operations centers,” the report said.

It further mentioned “Those tunnels will allow Hamas to survive and reconstitute once the fighting stops.”

The NYT report also said that the occupying entity has not achieved its primary goals of the Gaza onslaught, including “fully destroying Hamas” and finding “Israeli” captives held in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Douglas London, a retired officer of the US spy agency CIA, said the Palestinian resistance against “Israel” “is an idea as much as it is a physical, tangible group of people.”

“So, for as much damage ‘Israel’ might have inflicted on Hamas, it still has capability, resilience, funding and a long line of people most likely waiting to sign up and join after all the fighting and all the destruction and all the loss of life,” he added.

A US intelligence assessment further stated that Hamas is likely to pose a “lingering” challenge to the “Israeli” entity for years.

Last month, a US intelligence assessment questioned “Israel’s” ability to eliminate Hamas, saying the resistance group is likely to pose a challenge to the entity for years.

“‘Israel’ probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure,” the assessment read.