Shift in strategies: Hamas adopts new tactics in Gaza war

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Hamas has changed its combat tactics according to Reuters and adopted a hit-and-run approach to thwart Israel's attempts to control Gaza, rather than directly confronting and engaging Israeli forces.

 

The group now avoids prolonged clashes, particularly as the Israeli army enters Rafah, opting instead for ambushes and using makeshift bombs.

According to US officials, this new combat style could help Hamas continue fighting for several months, supported by weapons smuggled into Gaza through tunnels and other arms repurposed from unexploded ammunitions or captured from Israeli forces.

Sources close to Hamas confirmed to LBCI the accuracy of this report, which points to a shift in fighting tactics in Gaza. They added that it is natural for such changes to occur after eight months of war.

Although Hamas has altered its tactics, Reuters also hints at a contributing factor: the reduction in the number of its fighters to between 9,000 and 12,000, compared to the pre-war count of between 20,000 and 25,000.