US intelligence indicates that “Israel killed only 30 to 35 percent of Hamas fighters who were members of the Palestinian movement’s military wing before October 7,” Politico reported Tuesday.

Biden administration officials also believe that Hamas has managed to recruit thousands of new fighters, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown warned in November 2023 that Israel's killing of many civilians in Gaza would help Hamas recruit.

US intelligence also indicates that 65% of the extensive Hamas tunnel infrastructure remains intact, “which is another sign of the Palestinian group’s resilience even at a time when Israel has destroyed most of the Gaza Strip,” according to US intelligence services.

It is not clear from the Politico report exactly how many Hamas fighters the United States believes were killed. The Wall Street Journal reported in January that the United States estimated that Hamas had between 25,000 and 30,000 fighters before October 7, in addition to thousands of police officers.

US officials noted that they never believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's goal of "eliminating" Hamas was realistic, yet the Biden administration has strongly supported the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza with military aid and diplomatic support.

On Monday, Brown and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized Israel for failing to protect civilians and for allowing Hamas to reconstitute itself in areas Israel claimed to have cleared. “You don't just have to actually go in and eliminate the opponent you're facing, but you have to go in and control the area and then you have to stabilize it,” Brown said.