The Palestinian Resistance has shattered the illusion of an invulnerable and fearsome military force.

The Israeli military, which has some 180,000 professional soldiers and officers and over 300,000 reservists on call, recently mobilised a significant portion of its forces for the war on Gaza and a similar number of troops to prepare for possible engagements on multiple fronts. After confirming that all fronts were united in support of Gaza, with the most intense fighting taking place against Gaza itself and on the Lebanese front against Hezbollah – without crossing the border – Israel demobilised tens of thousands of its reservists. Against this backdrop, the Israeli press has loudly highlighted the significant losses suffered by the military, claiming that the Israeli armed forces are reeling and urgently calling for the recruitment of an additional 14,500 soldiers to face the robust Resistance in Gaza. This begs the question: What can the Resistance achieve against the colossal Israeli war machine?

Israel has publicly downplayed its casualties since 7 October, reporting only 3,014 officers and soldiers injured and around 600 killed. But this starkly contrasts the higher casualty figures acknowledged in military circles and the urgent calls for reserve units to be strengthened by calling up more personnel to replenish their depleted ranks. Confirmations from hospital sources published by the Israeli media indicate that the two-front conflict has resulted in more than 25,000 to 35,000 wounded, a figure that contrasts sharply with official statistics and underlines the severe impact of the Resistance faced by the Israeli military.

Despite significant casualties within the occupying army, Israel’s objectives of eliminating the leaders of the Hamas organisation and freeing Israeli prisoners remained unfulfilled. The conflict resulted in the deaths of Israeli prisoners (Hamas reported 70 deaths as a result of the bombings) and civilians, as well as the destruction of residential buildings, United Nations facilities and European Community-funded structures. But the resilience of the Resistance showed its formidable spirit. Lacking the conventional infrastructure of a state, Palestinian groups are driven by remarkable morale and willingness to fight back in the face of existential threats. The Resistance draws its strength from a deeply rooted ideological commitment to fight the occupying power, fuelled by a sense of rightful ownership of ancestral lands and driven by a spirit of sacrifice.