The Hamas terrorist organization can now be “destroyed militarily,” according to retired United States Army major and urban and subterranean warfare expert John Spencer, who argues that shifting battlefield conditions and renewed U.S. support under President Donald Trump provides Israel with “unprecedented opportunities” to dismantle the terror group once and for all.
Spencer’s analysis, published by Newsweek prior to Israel’s renewed military offensive, contends that past rejections of Israel’s ability to eliminate Hamas disregards critical changes in political and military dynamics.
The Israeli military, he explained, faced numerous constraints during the initial stages of the war, including external political pressure, humanitarian concerns, and the need to divert resources to defend against Hezbollah and Iranian-backed forces.
However, he notes, conditions on the ground have now shifted.
Israel launching renewed military operations would now do so with increased U.S. political backing, fewer operational restrictions, and a possible evacuation of civilians to neighboring countries — an option suggested by President Trump, which would remove Hamas’s ability to use civilians as human shields, one of its primary defensive strategies.
As a result, Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point, wholly dismisses claims that Hamas is immune to military defeat.
The assertion that Hamas cannot be dismantled “not only misrepresents history but also ignores the shifting political and military realities of the battlefield,” he stated, highlighting how Israel’s constraints over the past 16 months — including operating under restrictions “not placed on militaries throughout history” which have prevented a decisive victory — are now disappearing.
Spencer pointed to several major shifts that turn the tide in Israel’s favor, one being greater U.S. support.
“The Biden administration and other international actors imposed severe limitations on IDF [Israel Defense Forces] operations,” he wrote, noting Israel was facing weighty “external political constraints”:
These included withholding military aid, demands to not conduct operations in key Hamas strongholds like Rafah, unrealistic expectations of zero civilian casualties, and frequent pauses in combat due to humanitarian concerns based at times more on perception than verified data within Gaza. The IDF was even compelled to limit the scale of its operations from the beginning of the war, prolonging the conflict and allowing Hamas to regroup.
He also pointed to Hamas’s currently weakened state.
“Hamas is no longer the formidable force it was at the onset of the conflict,” he explained, while noting that the IDF’s operational focus is less engaged with other fronts.
Hamas is no longer the formidable force it was at the onset of the conflict. In October 2023, Hamas possessed five brigades, 24 battalions, tens of thousands of rockets, fortified defensive positions, and a well-trained leadership with decades of experience. Today, Hamas has been degraded into a guerrilla force with weakened leadership, reduced firepower, and limited capability to conduct large-scale operations. While still dangerous, Hamas lacks the centralized command structure, heavy weaponry, and defensive strongholds it once had.
Reiterating new strategic battlefield changes, Spencer highlighted the possibility of evacuating civilians from Gaza, noting that Hamas “exploited” the previous situation under the Biden administration by “using civilians and hostages as human shields and creating safe havens in areas the IDF was prevented from entering.”
Spencer also pointed to President Trump’s clear stance on the matter, noting his warning to Hamas after meeting with freed Israeli hostages in the Oval Office to release all captives or face dire consequences, while pledging full military backing for Israel, stating the U.S. was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.”
According to Spencer, this likely allows for the use of previously withheld U.S. military supplies, including large-diameter bombs and bulldozer parts — items that President Trump promptly released after winning re-election.
He pointed out that Israel’s next phase must focus on systematic clearing operations, rather than temporary incursions.
“The IDF must fully seize and clear territory, rather than conducting short-term incursions,” he wrote. “Notably, it was not until late 2024 that the IDF began systematically clearing portions of Northern Gaza, an approach that will need to be extended to the entire Strip.”
Spencer argues that “the constraints that once limited Israel’s ability to achieve this objective are changing” and that Israel must “seize” the moment before Hamas has a chance to rebuild.
“Once Hamas is militarily neutralized, Israel must ensure that the group cannot reconstitute itself, as it has in past conflicts,” he stated, warning that it is also necessary to ensure “that a new militant force does not simply take its place.”
For that reason, he believes Israel will need to maintain a presence in Gaza or establish an alternative security force to prevent Hamas from reemerging.
“The opportunity is there—Israel and its allies must seize it,” he concluded.
Hamas has long posed a strategic and security threat to both Israel and the broader region. Spencer’s argument reinforces the idea that U.S. backing under President Trump can enable Israel to finish what it started, ensuring that Hamas does not survive to fight another war. With shifting political realities and a weakened enemy, the opportunity to finally eliminate Hamas is greater than ever.
Insisting that with full commitment and the right strategy, Israel can finish what it started, Spencer’s conclusions challenge the narrative that Hamas is an indestructible force.
Previously, Spencer argued that Israel’s military lessons learned from battling Hamas in Gaza, amid diverse modern warfare challenges, are set to significantly improve U.S. military readiness and “save American lives.” He also highlighted the strategic importance of adapting such insights to enhance American tactical responses and training protocols.
Last month, he argued that rebuilding Gaza is impossible without Hamas’s complete removal, noting that any reconstruction effort will be futile if the terror group remains in control.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a video explaining why Israel had returned to war against Hamas in Gaza after the Palestinian terrorist organization refused a new ceasefire deal.
Over the past day, the IDF resumed targeted ground operations in central and southern Gaza, expanding the security zone and strengthening control over the Netzarim Corridor.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein
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