TEHRAN - Israel is laboring under the delusion that it has dealt debilitating blows to resistance groups in West Asia through its aggressive military operations.

But at least the recent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas indicates that the regime has been building castles in the air. 

Israel launched war on Gaza shortly after Hamas carried out the Aqsa Storm attack. It was a surprise military operation that the resistance group conducted in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. More than

1,100 people were killed in the Hamas operation and about 250 others were taken captive. Dozens of the captives still remain in Gaza. 

Several of the remaining captives have so far been released as part of the ceasefire that went into effect on January 19 and the rest are expected to walk free if Israel adheres to its commitments under the deal. 

During the more than 15-month war on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had consistently vowed to continue fighting until “destroying” Hamas through achieving “total victory” over the resistance movement and returning all captives. 

Netanyahu, known as Bibi, doubled down on his claims in an Israeli cabinet meeting in April last year. 

"We are one step away from victory (over Hamas). But the price we paid is painful and heartbreaking. There will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages. It just won't happen."

Later on, on July 1st, Bibi escalated his war rhetoric directed at Hamas.

“I returned yesterday from a visit to the Gaza Division. I saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried out in Rafah. We are advancing to the end of the stage of eliminating the Hamas terrorist army; we will continue striking its remnants,” Netanyahu said.  

Israeli military officials have also repeatedly claimed that the regime’s army had dismantled Hamas’ military capabilities and killed thousands of resistance fighters in Gaza. 

However, the strong presence of resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip after the implementation of the ceasefire showed that Netanyahu and his allies have been living in a fantasy world. 
Besides, a new report burst the Israeli leaders’ bubble. 

On January 24, Reuters reported in an exclusive interview that Hamas “has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 members since the start of its war with Israel”.

Citing two congressional sources briefed on US intelligence, the report said resistance fighters “could remain a persistent threat to Israel”.

Earlier this month, Antony Blinken let the cat out of the bag about claims that Hamas is experiencing a shortage of fighters.

On January 14, he said Washington believes that Hamas has recruited almost as many fighters as it had lost in Gaza. 

“Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void,” the former top US diplomat noted. 

According to official US figures, Hamas had between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters. Meanwhile, Israeli figures have put the total Hamas death toll in Gaza at around 20,000. 

Currently, the report from Reuters, along with Blinken's remarks and the significant presence of resistance fighters in Gaza, indicate that Hamas continues to be resilient. 

Back in February 2024, assessments by Israel’s military intelligence indicated that even if the regime dismantles Hamas’s organized military capabilities, the movement will continue to operate in Gaza.

The assessments showed that “authentic support remains” for Hamas among Gazans.

In March, the US intelligence community said in its annual report that Israel will likely face Hamas resistance "for years to come”.

Besides, Israeli military officials had already acknowledged that the regime’s war ambitions in Gaza would remain futile.  

Israel’s military setbacks have further caused a tsunami of resignations. 

Israel’s military chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, is the most senior Israeli figure who has announced his resignation. 

Halevi announced on Tuesday that he has decided to step down over his role in failing to prevent the Al-Aqsa Storm.

In a letter to war minister Israel Katz, he said the resignation would go into effect on March 6.

He noted that Israel has been unable to eliminate Hamas. 

Apart from the war on Gaza, Israel also waged war on Lebanon. 

On September 23, 2024, Israel launched a massive bombing campaign in Lebanon and a week later sent its troops into southern Lebanon. 

Israel was compelled to agree to a two-month ceasefire with Hezbollah in late November due to failing to achieve its military objectives.

However, Netanyahu said on Friday that the Israeli army will not withdraw from southern Lebanon by the 60-day deadline set under the ceasefire agreement which expires on Sunday. 

Prior to Israel’s extensive aerial bombardment of Lebanon, it had been engaged in cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah in the wake of the regime’s initiation of military action against Gaza.

Israel’s brutal wars on Gaza and Lebanon were not only aimed at eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah but also were in line with the regime’s attempts to pit Lebanese and Palestinian people against the resistance movements.

The ceasefire deals with Hamas and Hezbollah have thrown a spotlight on the fact that Israel is unable to subdue resistance movements through military force. The truce agreements also indicate that

Israel's attempts to drive a wedge among the populace against Hezbollah and Hamas have gone up in smoke. 

Besides, prior to the Gaza ceasefire, Israel’s use of military force to deter Yemen’s Ansarullah from firing drones and missiles toward Israel remained futile. 

Ansarullah like Hezbollah hit Israeli strategic military sites and targeted Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. 

Israel assassinated prominent resistance leaders, including Lebanese Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar with the purported aim of incapacitating resistance movements. 

Israel also martyred senior Iranian military advisors in Syria who had been deployed to the country at the request of former president Bashar Assad to help Damascus in the battle against terror groups. 

Such heinous plots also failed as resistance against Israel’s atrocities continue to grow.  

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has consistently cautioned that Israel’s malevolent plans are doomed to fail.

In a speech in December last year, the Leader stressed that resistance becomes stronger in the face of pressure. He said Nasrallah’s martyrdom encouraged Lebanese people to put up resistance against Israel, forcing the regime to acquiesce to a ceasefire. 

Pointing to Israel’s plans in Gaza, Ayatollah Khamenei added, “The enemy thought that the people of Gaza would rise up against Hamas amidst the bombardments. However, the opposite happened. The people have become more supportive of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian Resistance groups than ever before.”

In reference to Israel’s smear campaigns against Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei also had this to say, “That ignorant and uninformed analyst who believes that these events will weaken Iran should understand that Iran is strong and powerful and it will become even more powerful.”

He also stressed that resistance will further spread in the region. 

Israel has tried to demonize Iran, blaming the country for rising opposition to the regime’s heinous crimes. 

Iran has time and again stressed that the root cause of conflicts in West Asia stems from Israel’s occupation.

Israel has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza and about 4,000 people in Lebanon since October 2023. However, Israel’s carnage has not succeeded in crushing regional resistance which has become the regime’s recurrent nightmare. 

Alive and kicking: Four Israeli captives freed in good condition 

Hamas released more Israeli captives from the Gaza Strip on Saturday as part of a ceasefire between the regime and the resistance movement. 

Four female soldiers were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City.

They ascended a podium, where they waved and smiled before being escorted away. The captives seemed to be in good condition. They later arrived in Israel. 

A total of 200 Palestinians also walked free from Israeli jails. More than 120 of them were serving life sentences behind bars. 

It was the second captive-prisoner swap since the ceasefire took effect on January 19.

Hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters gathered in Palestine Square where the release of the captives took place.  

Palestinian civilians were present there, many hoisting the Palestinian flag.  They doubled down on their support for the Palestinian resistance. 

Israeli officials said following Saturday's release that 90 captives remain in Gaza. They say a third of them are dead. According to Palestinians, the slain captives have lost their lives during Israeli strikes on Gaza.
 The remaining captives are set to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners based on the truce agreement which will be implemented in three phases.