Blinken Admits Hamas Recruited As Many Fighters As It Lost During US-Backed Israeli Bombardment

Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave his farewell speech to the Atlantic Council, where he admitted that Hamas “cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone,” and that according to U.S. assessments, “Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost.”

Blinken said Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip has become “a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war.” But that was the goal all along. The goal was never to defeat Hamas, and it was always ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

The more Israel bombs Gaza, the more support there is for the resistance, and as long as a resistance exists, Israel has an enemy to continue to fight and an excuse to keep the war going.

The only difference right now seems to be that the U.S. and Israel are moving into the next phase, as they announce a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, and the incoming Trump administration works to turn the focus to regional normalization.