Has Israel made significant progress towards its objective after weeks of warfare?

It has been nearly two weeks since Israel launched its ground offensive into Gaza and over a month since they began intensive air strikes against Hamas. Israel's objective from the beginning has been to destroy Hamas both militarily and politically. While it is still early days, Israel believes that they are making progress towards this goal. One Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) official compared the operation to a boxing match, stating that they are only in round four out of 15. The duration of the war remains uncertain, as Israel has not provided a specific timeline. However, international pressure for pauses in the fighting or a ceasefire is increasing. Israel has conducted over 14,000 strikes, killing numerous high-value targets, including senior Hamas commanders. They have already fired more than 23,000 munitions, compared to the approximately 500 bombs dropped per week by Western allies during the battle for Mosul. On the other hand, Hamas claims that more than 10,800 people in Gaza have been killed since the start of the war, including over 4,400 children. Israel says that its ground forces have successfully divided the Gaza Strip and surrounded Gaza City. However, Hamas denies that Israel has made significant gains or pushed deep into the city. The initial phase of Israel's ground offensive seems to be going according to plan, isolating Hamas and inflicting high costs on the group. Israel estimates that about 4,000 Hamas fighters have been killed, but these figures are difficult to verify. Israeli military losses have been relatively low, with 34 soldiers killed. The challenge of the tunnels remains significant for Israel, but they aim to blow them up rather than engage in underground fighting. However, Israel has a significant advantage in terms of intelligence and military capabilities, and it continues to identify new targets each day. As the war extends, Israel will likely rely more on ground troops to locate and eliminate resistance. Urban warfare can still pose difficulties, but so far, close-quarters fighting has been limited. Israel has not deployed all its forces to Gaza, and some speculate that they may have as few as 30,000 troops on the ground. The question remains as to how many infantry troops Israel is willing to commit to clear the buildings and tunnels. It is believed that Israel will aim to avoid block-by-block fighting to minimize casualties and protect hostages. There are doubts about whether Israel's stated war aim of destroying Hamas is achievable. Senior Israeli officials acknowledge that it is impossible to eradicate an ideology with bombs and bullets. Even if Hamas survives the war, they could claim victory. As a result, Israel's war aims may shift from destroying Hamas to punishing them and preventing future attacks. Israel is facing increasing pressure, especially from the US, to explain what comes next after the war. Without a post-invasion plan, it is challenging to win a war.