Strike on Qatar shows limits of Israel's elusive quest to vanquish Hamas

Israel's attack on Hamas' top leaders as they weighed a new ceasefire proposal in Qatar was the latest in a series of shocking and unprecedented measures it has taken to vanquish the militant group-all of which have so far failed.

- 

Hamas says its top leaders survived Tuesday's strike, but it has offered no proof and has been tight-lipped after past assassinations. But even if the strike did succeed, it wouldn't spell the end of Hamas, which has survived two years of war and still holds around 20 living hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Nor is there any reason to believe that Israel's latest of fensive, aimed at taking over Gaza City, will bring about the "total victory" that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war.

That's in part because of Hamas' ability to melt into the population and resurface later.