Two US congressional sources familiar with US intelligence said that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, indicating that the movement will continue to pose a threat to Israel.

Intelligence information indicates that a similar number of Hamas fighters have been killed since the beginning of the war, and this is the first time such official estimates have been issued.

The two sources familiar with the intelligence, which was included in a series of updates provided by US intelligence agencies in the final weeks of the Biden administration, added that while Hamas has been successful in recruiting new members, a large number of them are untrained young men who carry out simple security tasks.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on January 14 that the United States believes that the number Hamas has recruited is roughly the same as the number it has lost in Gaza, warning that this is “an indication of the continuing insurgency and the continuing war.”

Blinken did not provide further details on the assessment, but Israeli data says the total number of militants killed in Gaza is around 20,000.

Last Sunday, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect after a 15-month conflict. In its first phase, negotiations are underway to begin a second and then a third phase, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.