IDF Gaza Commander: Hamas Facing Internal Collapse Under Israeli Pressure
by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Brigadier General Barak Hiram, Commander of the IDF’s Gaza Division, said Monday that Hamas is nearing collapse under the weight of sustained Israeli military, economic, and psychological pressure. Speaking to residents of Kibbutz Nirim—one of the communities ravaged in the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion—Hiram described a terrorist organization unraveling from within.
“Hamas is having an extremely difficult time paying salaries,” Hiram said, according to Ynet. “Once their apparatus stops functioning and people stop showing up for work, Hamas ceases to exist.”
He emphasized that the IDF’s long-term campaign is not just about battlefield victories, but about unrelenting pressure designed to exhaust Hamas’s capacity to govern and maintain control. “It’s the cumulative pressure that will lead to a negotiated release of the hostages and, ultimately, to Hamas’s downfall.”
Hiram said the terrorist group’s greatest vulnerability lies not in Israeli strikes, but in internal unrest. “Dictatorships fear their own people. I believe the last Hamas leader—if we don’t kill him—will be taken out by the people themselves, like Gadhafi in Libya.”
The commander also confirmed the complete destruction of smuggling tunnels along the Philadelphi Corridor, the Egypt-Gaza border route that has long been used for weapons and personnel infiltration. “We inspected every segment. Everything we found was destroyed,” he said. “And more importantly, there’s no one left in the area to dig new ones.”
He acknowledged that drone and land-based smuggling from within Israel remains a concern, but stated that such threats are more manageable. Additional security has also been deployed to monitor the coastline and scrutinize humanitarian aid deliveries.
Addressing lessons from the October 7 massacre, Hiram admitted to IDF failures and called for a significant shift in Israel’s border defense doctrine. “One of the tragic lessons is the need for communities to act as the final line of defense until the army arrives,” he said. “Even 10, 20, or 30 years from now, this should be part of our doctrine.”
Local response teams have since been expanded and equipped with better weapons and training. “I don’t expect civilians to act as soldiers,” Hiram noted, “but in a place where seconds count, every barrier matters.”
Hiram also publicly took responsibility for decisions made during the chaos of October 7, including his controversial call to fire tank shells near a house where hostages were held. A post-action review deemed his decisions “reasonable,” though not free of tactical flaws. “It wasn’t just a mistake,” he said. “It was a systemic failure. Some things can’t be restored. But we must learn, adapt, and rebuild.”
In closing, Hiram expressed cautious hope for the future. “We must bring the hostages home, defeat Hamas, and rebuild our beloved country. That is our generational duty. Without it, neither the western Negev nor the entire nation can truly recover.”
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