Letter From Hamas Brigade Commander Sheds Light on Terror Group’s Demoralization

Latest Developments​

A letter penned by a Hamas commander made public by Israel on September 11 demonstrates that the Palestinian terrorist group has been on the ropes for months.

The letter, from the late commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh, was addressed to Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed, another senior figure in the group. Salameh was killed in an Israeli air strike along with top Hamas commander Muhammed Deif on July 13.

In the letter, Salameh said half his fighters had been killed or incapacitated in the Gaza war, while many others had fled, leaving him with around a fifth of his original personnel. He was down to no more than 10 percent of his original rocketry capacity, while his men had depleted 60 percent of their small arms and as much as 70 percent of their anti-tank weapons, Salameh said.

Expert Analysis​

“Khan Younis is a major center of the Gaza war, and fact that its Hamas garrison has been so badly off for so long is some cause for celebration. But much work remains. Even a few hundred hardened and determined fighters are enough to cause Israel pain – especially if they are holding hostages.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“In an attempt to deflect its mounting problems in this war, Hamas has inflated its successes, minimized its losses, and denied the deaths of senior leaders in Gaza. However, the Salameh letter reveals a compelling testimonial of Hamas’s struggles. Despite the positive information contained in the letter, Israel will need considerably more time to achieve its goal of completely dismantling Hamas’s capacity to operate as an organized force in Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Israeli Defense Minister: Letter Shows ‘Real Hardship’ Impacting Hamas

The letter from Salameh was made public by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to the IDF center for processing captured materiel and other findings from the war. According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, the letter was written in May. Gallant said the letter shed light on “a real hardship that affects Hamas and affects the most senior commanders.” He observed that Salameh “cries out for the help of the Sinwar brothers, but of course they cannot save him.”

Sinwar, who is currently in hiding, was last month appointed as the head of the Iran-backed terrorist organization following the July 31 assassination of previous leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Sinwar’s brother, Muhammad, is a senior Hamas military commander.

Related Analysis

“Israel Offers Safe Passage to Sinwar Out of Gaza to Free Hostages,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Defense Minister Says Hamas Destroyed as Organized Fighting Force,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Strike Targets Top Hamas Commanders in Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief