The killing of Muhammad Deif constitutes a severe blow to the Hamas terror organization. Deif, who served as Hamas's military commander and was the brain behind the organization's military operations in Gaza, was likely assassinated after 25 years of clandestine activity. However, as Israel knows, eliminating senior figures is an important action but not one that destroys a terror organization.
Since the beginning of the war, many voices have suggested that the image of victory over Hamas would be the occupation of territory in Gaza and Israeli rule, and it seems that Israel is beginning to move towards this.
Documentation circulating today on social media shows that in recent days, the IDF has established a military base in the western part of the Philadelphia axis, which serves as a facility for some of the forces operating in the region. From Yahya Sinwar and Hamas's perspective, this is a real setback. It has often been said that Sinwar's only concern is his continued rule in Gaza. Sinwar sees the extensive destruction throughout Gaza, the numbers of dead and wounded, but knows that it has not changed. Ten years of reconstruction aided by billions of dollars from Qatar and Arab states, and from his perspective, everything will return to how it was before.
But as Sinwar sees Israel swallowing up his territory, taking control of the supply route, and establishing a presence on the Philadelphia axis, he understands that his situation is dire and that nothing will ever be the same as it was in the past.
