Thread by @Aizenberg55

🧵CNN piece that IDF is far from victory over Hamas is fake news that simply wishes this were true. CNN offers almost no evidence and relies on cherry-picked experts who have been claiming IDF failure since 10/7. Subtext: IDF has killed Gazans for nothing. Full analysis: 1/

CNN starts out slowly: Hamas has rebuilt some fighting capabilities. Fine. Article even admits Hamas is now a “guerilla force.” But authors then speculate, cite other experts who push line that “victory” over Hamas is not in sight, then it becomes “power of Hamas is growing”! 2/

CNN’s analysis relies on Hamas “claims” — Really? Despite never admitting any combatant deaths? Hiding Deif & Issa deaths? Also open source data. CNN offers no info from IDF, citing just one unnamed “Israeli source close to military.” IDF officially rejected CNN's thesis. 3/

Scant detail CNN reveals is stunning. Definition of Hamas battalion that has “reconstituted,” the main reason why CNN claims Israel is not winning, is “rebuild some military capabilities at least once in the last six months.” ONE time in SIX months = reconstituted battalion! 4/

CNN claims only 3 of 24 Hamas battalions are “combat ineffective” but then strangely also says 13 of 24 can only “conduct sporadic largely unsuccessful guerilla-style attacks.” Huh? Sure seems these 13 are also “combat ineffective.” CNN admits IDF calls them "dismantled"! 5/

CNN enlisted experts who are long standing Israel defeatists who have been pushing “IDF cannot beat Hamas, they're stronger now” since first week of war. Missing are any contra experts that I cite below, proving CNN had an agenda, not real analysis. Here is the IDF response: 6/

CNN cites Peter Mansoor who has been pushing the “Israel is losing” narrative since day one, of course he’s not going to change course now even with IDF achievements. Already on Oct 2023 he falsely claimed IDF was simply conducting war of “revenge” that would likely fail. 7/

In May 2024 Mansoor also claimed Israeli failure, that Israel should not have gone to war, it's only a political matter, Israel is ignoring “root causes” — but real root cause is Hamas’ aim to kill all Jews! Saying Israel only wants revenge undermines his entire view on Gaza. 8/

CNN also enlists Robert Pape who has pushed "Hamas is only getting stronger" line from the beginning. Kill them — stronger. Don't kill them — stronger. See how that works? Losing key military chiefs and only lifeline for arms (Egypt) somehow grows Hamas' power in Pape's eyes. 9/

Pape has not changed his thinking since day one and no doubt CNN knew he'd provide the quotes needed, that "power of Hamas is growing." @spencerguard demolished his views in discussion below: 10/

Apparently Hamas “recruiting like crazy” points to Israeli defeat. Really? Handing untrained men a rifle while every day IDF is picking them off wherever they congregate is the Hamas rebuilding of forces? Somehow we're to believe that Hamas is actually growing its power? 11/

CNN could have brought in other experts with alternative opinions, like from @Mr_Andrew_Fox for a real analysis. They could have let others evaluate the new "data" CNN supposedly has. But CNN and its lead author (more on her below) have an anti-Israel agenda to push. 12/

Fox, of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, wrote about his recent visit to Gaza to study IDF action. He addressed this CNN article, explaining that the “IDF is losing” is part of a months long agenda, part of a “desperation” to portray Israel as losing, when it is not. 13/

Leading war expert @spencerguard has stated "Israel is, by every definition, winning in Gaza". He recently wrote in Newsweek how the demise of key Hamas leaders are “major milestones to Israel being able to achieve their immediate goals in Gaza.” 14/

Another military expert, former US general David Deputa was recently in Gaza and lauded IDF action and success in Gaza, such as in destroying tunnels. CNN notably does not describe ANY IDF successes in Gaza. 15/

We also find clues about the agenda driven narrative based on previous writings of lead author @tamaraqiblawi -- she loathes Israel & “Zionism” adding to the evidence that this CNN piece is mostly propaganda, a deliberate distortion of reality. 16/ honestreporting.com/not-again-cnn-…

Defeatists, apologists & haters say Israel can’t win because they don’t want Israel to win. Sure, IDF has lots more painful work to do given Hamas’ human shield & baby kidnapping strategy. Bravo Hamas. But to claim they are stronger today is inane, as shown in chart below. END