When news of the hostage release was announced, Palestinian Arab Hamas terrorists came out of their tunnels, celebrating their supposed great “victory” over the Israelis. In some quarters, chants of “Khaybar” were heard, which commemorated another supposed victory (over the Jews) that occurred in the time of Mohammed.

In the real world, the Hamas terrorists won no such victory. Not even a pyrrhic one.

Their boasting is just reflective that Hamas, and Arab society in general, is known for its fact-free “victory” braggadocio about warfare. Especially if you lose the conflict. (RELATED: The 3/5 Compromise Has Nothing on Hamas’ 1/30 Compromise)

Here are the facts.

As former U.S. Secretary of State Blinken has said, “Hamas’s military and governance capacity has been decimated, and the masterminds behind the attack have been killed.” Indeed, Hamas’s command-and-control capabilities have been severely impaired, and its factories for large-scale weapons production have been destroyed.

Israel killed most of the Hamas brigade and battalion commanders, and the IDF destroyed the groups’ capability to carry out another Oct. 7 massacre. The number one Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was blown up in Iran by the Israelis. His replacement, Yahya Sinwar, who planned the Oct. 7 massacre, is also dead, with a gaping hole in his skull, courtesy of the IDF. Mohammed Deif, the head of the military wing of Hamas, was also eliminated, as well as 6 other senior leaders.

The remaining leaders of Hamas have decided not to replace Sinwar, so as not to endanger the life of the replacement leader, who would be immediately targeted and eliminated by the Israelis.

The terror legions of Hamas have been totally decimated by relentless IDF operations. The IDF has killed almost 20,000 terror fighters in Gaza in total. Before the conflict, there were 20,000-25,000 Hamas fighters, and they were split into five regional brigades, 24 battalions, and some 140 companies. Only two of those brigades are still operational. Most of the Hamas terrorists are gone, although undoubtedly, some of the deaths are of non-Hamas fighters from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian Authority, and other smaller Palestinian Arab factions that participated in the conflict.

Hamas sometimes claims a lower number of terrorists were killed, but no credible objective observer would believe the frequently dishonest terror group, also known for raping women and torturing and slaughtering innocent children, or the clearly antisemitic and biased U.N., which frequently echoes their claims, over a democratic nation and U.S. ally such as Israel.

Over 100,000 Palestinian Arabs have been wounded in the conflict, according to the Hamas statistics, which are certainly inflated. While no distinction is made here between civilians and fighters, it is likely that large numbers of the still-living fighters in the Hamas militia have suffered injuries. 

The idea floated by Blinken and others that Hamas is just as strong as ever because it has already replenished its forces, by enlisting new and untrained teenagers to replace battle-hardened terror veterans, is absurd on its face.

Hamas had over 200 tunnels connecting Gaza to the Sinai. Through these tunnels, they smuggled people, weapons, and equipment to and from the area. These tunnels — alleged to be 60 percent of the total — have been destroyed.

Prior to Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas had full control over the land and the people of Gaza. That is no longer the case. They have control over the territory only if Israel allows them to exercise it. Their popularity has gone down; even some Palestinian Arabs have lost their faith in the Islamist group that has brought ruin, death, and destruction to their area, despite the knowledge that Hamas may track them down and murder them for their statements.

The Islamic regime in Iran, one of the main funders for Hamas, is overstretched and staggering after Hamas’s loss, as well as other setbacks in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. That means that this source of revenue for Hamas is no longer secure.

And President Trump and his more pro-Israel administration have replaced President Biden and his administration, meaning no further arms slowdowns to Israel are likely. The new national security advisor to President Trump, Michael Waltz, has also emphatically stated in an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that “Hamas will never govern Gaza. That is completely unacceptable.”

Hamas lost this war. That is a fact. And they may even lose some more if President Trump’s plan takes effect. (READ MORE: Let The Man Cook)

Now, if Ismail Haniyeh or Yahya Sinwar were still alive to hold a press conference, they might indeed be able to, insincerely, echo the language of King Pyrrhus, after his (actual) pyrrhic victory, where he lamented, “Another such victory and we shall be utterly ruined.” But they aren’t alive, and there is no Hamas leader willing and/or able to say such a thing. And if there was such a leader, and if he did say such a thing, it would be a lie, anyway.

READ MORE:

Profile in Courage: Trump’s Gaza Proposal

To Reconstruct Gaza, First Deconstruct Gaza

Israeli Hostages Turn Humiliation into Victory

Adam Turner is a national security professional with over two decades of experience and works for the Zionist Organization of America.