Prior to the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel, leaders of the group seemed confident that the “axis of resistance” would immediately attack Israel once a war erupts in the Gaza Strip.

Judging from the statements of the Hamas leaders, they were also pinning high hopes on the “armed resistance” in the West Bank. The past two years have seen the emergence of a number of armed groups in the West Bank that are affiliated with Hamas and PIJ. These groups include the Jenin Battalion and the Lions’ Den. These leaders were also hoping that many Arab Israelis would take to the streets and engage in violent attacks against Israelis, as was the case in 2021.

The clashes that erupted along the Israel-Lebanon border over the past two weeks have been welcomed by Hamas as a sign that the “unity of the battlefields” is finally happening. However, some Hamas leaders did not conceal their disappointment over Hezbollah’s failure to launch a major attack on Israel.

Hamas officials Khaled Mashaal and Musa Abu Marzouk have been quoted as expressing disappointment with the failure of the “axis of resistance” to join the fight against Israel.

[If so, that’s another miscalculation from Hamas as to the response of the Israelis and its Western allies. The wholesale slaughter of unarmed civilians in Hamas’ orgy of blood galvanized Israelis into unity and a full-scale mobilization that makes any new incursion from the north much less likely to succeed. The West isn’t holding Israel back in any meaningful way yet either, although that may change. Hezbollah and especially Syria may recall that they didn’t win wars against Israel with surprise on their side, and aren’t going to fare any better by going into the teeth of a prepared and enraged defense. — Ed]