By every traditional military measure, Hamas has already been defeated. Its tunnels shattered, its fighters killed or captured, and its weapons caches destroyed — the terror group has been left isolated, its infrastructure dismantled, and its leaders forced to hide in the shadows.
Any army throughout history, once surrounded, starved of resources, and stripped of defensive capability, would have surrendered unconditionally. And yet, Hamas fights on — not because it can win, but because it is willing to let Gaza bleed so long as it can still breathe.
But in one arena, Hamas has achieved what no military campaign could offer it: a full-spectrum victory in the realm of global perception.
This is the bitter truth. Hamas, a terror organization that murders its own people and hides behind children, has succeeded in painting itself as a victim. Through relentless propaganda, doctored images, emotional manipulation, and a global network of sympathizers in media and academia, Hamas has seized control of the narrative. While Israeli soldiers risk their lives to minimize civilian casualties, and while the IDF provides humanitarian corridors and aid even during combat — the world accuses Israel of war crimes.
The West, which should know better, has fallen prey to this manipulation. The true nature of Hamas — genocidal, anti-Semitic, and fanatically committed to Israel’s destruction — has been whitewashed. And thus, universities erupt in anti-Israel protests, news networks parrot falsehoods, and Western governments hesitate to stand firmly on the side of truth.
This is the true, pyrrhic “victory” of Hamas: not in territory gained, but in hearts and minds poisoned.
Israel will prevail militarily. Of that, there is no doubt. But the deeper, longer battle is for moral clarity — and in that battle, we must now fight harder than ever.