Reuters: Hamas has gained between 10,000 to 15,000 new members during the Gaza war

Reuters reported, citing sources in the U.S. Congress, that during the 15 months since the Gaza war began, the extremist group Hamas has managed to recruit between 10,000 to 15,000 new members. In its exclusive report published on Friday, February 25, it noted that Hamas has lost approximately the same number of members during this period. The extremist group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, entered Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, with hundreds of its forces, an attack that resulted in hundreds of deaths and about 250 hostages. Following this surprise attack on Israel, the Israeli army began its assault on Gaza, a 15-month campaign that has so far left over 50,000 dead and turned Gaza into a pile of rubble. Last Sunday, a ceasefire began in the region between Hamas and Israel, marking the second agreement to halt hostilities since the start of the 15-month war in Gaza, which has continued in a fragile manner. Prior to this ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the war in Gaza would continue until Hamas was completely destroyed. His critics argued that Hamas is 'an ideology' and cannot be eradicated through war and the destruction of Gaza. Reuters' recent report on Hamas's recruitment amid the war, if accurate, could confirm the views of these critics. However, Reuters added that the new members of the extremist group Hamas are all 'young, inexperienced, and untrained,' and are only used 'for simple security purposes.' Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State in the Biden administration, warned less than two weeks ago, just before stepping down from this position, that Hamas has 'recruited almost as many new members as it has lost.' He did not specify an exact number, but several Israeli officials and media have indicated that Hamas has lost about 20,000 members over the past 15 months. According to U.S. government statistics, prior to the October 7 attack, Hamas had between 20,000 to 25,000 members.