The officials emphasized that "Hamas has been largely depleted but not destroyed, and it is possible that Israel may never be able to eradicate it."
As negotiations regarding hostages are set to take place in Doha, American officials told The New York Times that "Israel has achieved everything it can militarily in the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing bombings only increase the risk to civilians." Regarding Hamas, they noted that "the ability to further weaken Hamas has diminished" and added, "Israel may never be able to eliminate Hamas."
**"Incentives for Hamas: A Palestinian State"**
Biden administration officials acknowledged that the Israeli operation in Rafah, which cut off Hamas's supply lines, was successful. However, they stated that the remaining option for securing the release of hostages is through diplomacy.
To encourage Hamas to agree to a deal, the officials said it is important to offer incentives for Hamas to remain on the periphery after a ceasefire, one of which could be "moving towards a Palestinian state." The newspaper highlighted that the IDF has been able to operate freely in Gaza and that Hamas's infrastructure has been significantly damaged.
Despite the IDF's estimate that around 14,000 militants have been killed or captured since the military operation began, the newspaper noted that the U.S. employs a more conservative counting method. Additionally, the officials expressed doubts about the IDF's new strategy of "hit the mole," which involves raids on locations where Hamas resurfaces, targeting militants, and destroying terror infrastructure. They noted that militants are hiding among the civilian population and said, "Hamas's strategy since the beginning of the war has been survival and has not changed. Hamas has been largely depleted, but not destroyed, and Israel may never succeed in eradicating it."