{"id":24807,"date":"2025-05-28T13:30:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T10:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=24807"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:11:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T10:11:01","slug":"gaza-division-commander-says-hamas-collapse-has-already-begun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/gaza-division-commander-says-hamas-collapse-has-already-begun\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza Division Commander Says Hamas Collapse Has Already Begun"},"content":{"rendered":"

The commander of the IDF\u2019s Gaza Division, Brigadier General Barak Hiram, believes Hamas is gradually losing power\u2014not only on the battlefield, but from within. In recordings broadcast Tuesday evening by Kan News<\/em>, Hiram stated:
\n“I believe that the last remaining Hamas leader\u2014the one we don\u2019t manage to eliminate\u2014will be taken out by the people themselves, who will show him, like they did with Gaddafi, exactly what they think.”<\/p>\n

Hamas is losing power and ceasing to exist<\/strong>
\nAccording to Hiram, Hamas\u2019s control mechanisms are on the verge of collapse.
\n“In recent months, Hamas has struggled mightily to pay salaries across its various arms. Once the system stops functioning\u2014once people stop reporting to Hamas jobs\u2014Hamas begins to lose its power. Eventually, it ceases to exist.”<\/p>\n

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Distribution of humanitarian aid | Photo: Fair use under Clause 27a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The commander painted a cautiously optimistic picture of the weakening of Hamas rule in Gaza. He emphasized that victory in this war will not be measured solely by how many buildings are destroyed or how many terrorists are eliminated, but by breaking the foundation that supports Hamas\u2019s ideology: “When we manage to dismantle enough of the elements that give this idea its structure\u2014its operating mechanism\u2014we\u2019ll know that\u2019s our victory.”<\/p>\n

Regarding the Egyptian border, Hiram stressed that all the tunnels in the Philadelphi Corridor have been completely destroyed: “We\u2019ve scanned the entire Philadelphi route, meter by meter, so thoroughly that we can say with certainty\u2014there are no longer any tunnels crossing from Egypt into Gaza. Everything we found was destroyed. Completely.”<\/p>\n

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Philadelphi Corridor, archive | Photo: Oren Cohen\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“No more underground smuggling”<\/strong>
\nHe added that the ability to resume digging tunnels is practically nonexistent: “There\u2019s no one left to dig. Especially now that we\u2019ve moved the population out of Khan Younis and al-Mawasi. And we now have the capability to detect any digging\u2014where it\u2019s happening, if it\u2019s happening. So, no more underground smuggling\u2014not along the Gaza border and not even in the nearby areas, up to Nitzana.”<\/p>\n

The humanitarian aid<\/strong>
\nOn the topic of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Hiram called for strict oversight: “The security arrangements that will be set at the end of the war will be designed to prevent smuggling and block the internal production of weapons going forward. That\u2019s the key point here.”<\/p>\n

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Humanitarian aid | Photo: Oren Cohen\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“The hostages will be freed through pressure”<\/strong>
\nOn the issue of the hostages, Hiram emphasized: “I believe we understand by now that the hostages will be freed as part of a deal reached through pressure. It\u2019s not just about heroic operations.”<\/p>\n

When asked when Hamas will suffer a final defeat, he responded: “I can\u2019t promise how long it will take. The pain, the blood, the suffering, the hostages\u2014these are things we want to see end, and soon. We want the suffering to stop. We want to bring them home.”<\/p>\n

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Red Cross vehicle | Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hiram\u2019s comments align with other assessments within the security establishment, which suggest that the ongoing erosion of Hamas\u2019s capabilities may lead to internal shifts among the population of Gaza.<\/p>\n

Fighting in Gaza continues<\/strong>
\nMeanwhile, the fighting in Gaza has intensified over the past week. Combat teams from the IDF\u2019s 36th Division continue to work to eliminate terrorist infrastructure, both above and below ground, in cooperation with elite Yahalom engineering units. Their goal is to neutralize terrorists from various organizations operating in the area.<\/p>\n

The forces on the ground, supported by artillery and fire support teams, are operating to weaken the operational capabilities of terrorist groups. During these missions, dozens of terrorists have been eliminated, and hundreds of terror infrastructures destroyed, including observation posts, combat compounds, tunnel shafts, and underground routes.<\/p>\n

Footage from the 36th Division in Gaza:<\/strong><\/p>\n