Netanyahu's biggest failure: Hamas lives on

In the next six weeks, thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons for crimes that included murdering Israelis will be released and sent to join Hamas in Gaza. Presumably there is no way of preventing all of them from becoming Hamas's latst recruits, to boost their numbers after having lost an Israeli-estimated 17,000 fighters during the 15-month war. So, in the not too faraway future, Hamas will be back with a full force. Indeed, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, has claimed that Hamas has already won so many more recruits for their cause that it will be up to strength already. The thousands of prisoners freed in Israel will actually make Hamas a bigger organisation than ever. Will they still rule Gaza? Is there any way to stop them? If an election was held, the chances are Hamas would win because of the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes and bombings. This means the opportunities for real peace in Gaza and between Gaza and Israel are pretty remote. Unless Benjamin Netanyahu agrees for the Palestinians to have their own independent state, and that seem so unlikely, not after October 7, 2023. If all the hostages still in Hamas's hands are released, dead or alive, that would be the one truly positive development, plus of course the end of the fighting and the entry of mass humanitarian aid into Gaza for the desperate Palestinians.But for Israel, everyting else is negative. Hamas is still alive and will increase in size and its potential threat to Israel will remain high forever.