NEW YORK, January 29. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to fulfill his promise to annihilate the Palestinian radical group Hamas, with the objectives of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip remaining unmet, according to an article in Foreign Affairs.
The magazine reports that Hamas has retained some of its civilian responsibilities and military capabilities, despite suffering heavy casualties during the conflict. Many Israelis fear that the January 19 ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave could allow Hamas to survive, despite its weakened state, and quickly regain control of Gaza.
The situation in the Middle East escalated dramatically after armed Hamas supporters infiltrated Israeli territory from Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing residents in border settlements and seizing more than 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave aimed at destroying Hamas and securing the release of the hostages. By January 2025, the Israeli operation had resulted in at least 47,000 Palestinian deaths and 111,000 injuries.
On January 15, mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States announced an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and establish a ceasefire. The ceasefire went into effect on January 19. In the first phase of the deal, which will last 42 days, Hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Hamas released three hostages on the first day, while Israeli authorities released 90 prisoners. Israel’s ambassador to Russia, Simone Halperin, confirmed to TASS that the list of 33 hostages included Russian national Alexander Trufanov, who also holds Israeli citizenship.