What has Hamas achieved after 15 months of war with Israel?

With the assassination of two of its most senior leaders, and the devastating human toll in Gaza, the future of Hamas appears uncertain.

But the scenes of its militia re-emerging hours after the ceasefire sent a message of defiance.

The scenes outraged an Israeli public, who were told that victory would only come after the complete destruction of Hamas.

While the world prays for an end to the violence in Gaza, Hamas’ senior leaders say a new chapter of their fight against Israel is expected - this time in the West Bank.

As settler-led violence and Israeli military raids on Palestinian villages reach historic levels, many have lost hope that the Palestinian Authority and its president Mahmoud Abbas can do anything to protect Palestinians from another all-out war.

Instead, the lure of armed resistance championed by Hamas has influenced a generation of disillusioned and angry young Palestinians, who’ve given up hope that diplomacy offers them any future.

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with senior Hamas official Basem Naim, who is a former health minister in Gaza and now part of the group’s political bureau.

Naim believes that Gaza was only the first chapter in the war, and that the next will be more complicated and ultimately more devastating.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee.

You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

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