Hamas recruits 30,000 fighters amid losses in Gaza

Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has launched a recruitment drive for approximately 30,000 new fighters in Gaza, most of whom have limited training beyond guerrilla tactics, rocket fire, and the use of explosives. This mass recruitment is reportedly part of a shift to guerrilla warfare strategy following heavy losses of personnel and weaponry, including drones and long-range missiles, inflicted by Israeli military operations. To compensate for depleted arsenals, Hamas has begun recycling missile remnants to manufacture improvised explosive devices. The group is also facing a severe financial crisis, with reports indicating that it has been unable to pay salaries to its fighters and civil officials, leading to resignations and the redeployment of military personnel into civil roles. Israeli operations continue, with the IDF targeting Hamas infrastructure and reporting destruction of tunnels and weapons caches, while Palestinian sources cite ongoing casualties among civilians and combatants. The reported figures of casualties and recruits cannot be independently verified.