Hamas still has over 20,000 fighters in Gaza: ‘Israeli’ official to The Atlantic

A senior ‘Israeli’ official, in an interview with The Atlantic, has stated that Hamas still has as many as 20,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip.

The figure, if accurate, represents a significant proportion of the group’s estimated pre-war strength of 25,000 to 30,000 fighters and raises questions about the feasibility of ‘Israel's’ stated war goal of "eliminating" the organization.

Read more: Hamas accuses Netanyahu of blocking Gaza ceasefire deal

This claim directly contradicts public statements from ‘Israeli’ officials, who have provided fluctuating figures for fighters killed.

Public assertions have ranged from claims of 17,000 fighters killed by August 2024 to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that the number was "close to 20,000" in November 2024.

However, internal ‘Israeli’ intelligence data and independent analysis offer a different perspective.

An internal ‘Israeli’ intelligence database recorded that around 8,900 fighters had been killed as of May 2025.

An independent analysis by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) similarly identified only about 8,500 fighter fatalities by October 2024.

One intelligence source, quoted in another report, highlighted the unreliability of public figures, saying, “People are promoted to the rank of terrorist after their death,” and that the public numbers were often estimates based on "officer testimonies" rather than a person-by-person analysis.

A former ‘Israeli’ Air Force general, Nimrod Shaffer, told The Atlantic that ‘Israel's’ strategy in Gaza is based on continuing the war.

“The strategy in Gaza is ongoing war. The war is the strategy…That serves Bibi. It may serve the coalition. It doesn’t serve anyone else.”