Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, has sent a message that the terror group is doing well in the war that Israel "declared," the Wall Street Journal reported. According to the report, Sinwar sent his message by means of a messenger to senior terrorists in the organization. WSJ reported that senior members of Hamas' leadership in exile held a meeting in Qatar earlier in February, following concerns that Hamas terrorists are being "mauled" by Israel's operations in Gaza. In its daily reports, the IDF says that it is killing dozens of terrorists each day. However, a courier arrived carrying a message from Sinwar, offering encouragement: "Don't worry, we have the Israelis right where we want them." The message also said that Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades were doing fine and that the terror group is ready for Israel's expected incursion into Rafah. Sinwar's message also said that high numbers of civilian casualties are one of Hamas' main goals in the war, since such numbers would increase international pressure on Israel to end the fighting, after which Sinwar would be able to come out of hiding and announce Hamas' victory and continued rule in Gaza. Related articles: Released hostage recalls meeting with Sinwar in Gaza's tunnels 'There is a name missing from the film on Sinwar' Sinwar's interrogator lost son at Supernova festival Old City resident arrested for praising Sinwar and Haniyeh Eyal Berelovich, a civilian analyst for Israel’s armed forces and a military historian at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, told WSJ that Hamas' attacks are now more narrow in focus and more targeted, and their goal is not to defeat the IDF but to outlast its maneuvering. “It’s a very sound tactical logic,” he told WSJ . “Their strategic goal is to survive.” Currently, Hamas claims that about 30,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, mostly women and children. Israeli officials, meanwhile, say that the death count is roughly accurate, but over one-third of the deaths have been Hamas terrorists. According to Hamas, around 6,000 terrorists have been killed, out of an estimated 30,000 before the war. Israel, however, places the number of dead terrorists at 12,000 thus far, along with another 1,000 killed on October 7. Thousands more have surrendered to the IDF, providing key intelligence information. Though Hamas can recruit additional lay terrorists, replacing its commanders is a more difficult task.
