Top Hamas leaders have admitted the militant group's desire to engage in a permanent state of war with Israel as it urges allies in the Arab and wider Muslim world to stand with the people of Gaza amid fears that the conflict could overspill into a wider regional war.
Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas' top leadership body said in an interview with the New York Times in Doha, Qatar, that the dire events in Israel and Palestine since Hamas' surprise attack on Oct. 7 are necessary "to change the entire equation and not just have a clash." This means that Hamas wants to stoke the conflict to garner more of the world's attention.
"We succeeded in putting the Palestinian issue back on the table, and now no one in the region is experiencing calm," said Hamas media adviser Taher El-Nounou. "I hope that the state of war with Israel will become permanent on all the borders, and that the Arab world will stand with us." (Related: Hamas was created by Israeli and U.S. intelligence services to counteract Yasser Arafat, Ron Paul explains.)
These statements from senior Hamas officials come as the conflict between Israel and Gaza surpasses the one-month mark, and the number of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli strikes goes over the 10,000 mark, including over 4,300 children.
Meanwhile, more than 1,400 Israelis have died since the beginning of the conflict, mostly during the initial Hamas offensive into southern Israel.
Hamas interested in Palestinian self-determination, not becoming the rulers of Gaza
Al-Hayya and El-Nounou have dismissed the idea that Hamas is interested in governing Gaza in the sense that the group will be in charge of making sure people get utilities, among other responsibilities.
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"Hamas, the [Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades] and the resistance woke the world up from its deep sleep and showed that this issue must remain on the table," said Al-Hayya, referring to the overall question of Palestinian self-determination.
"This battle was not because we wanted fuel or laborers. It did not seek to improve the situation in Gaza. This battle is to completely overthrow the situation," he added, referring to the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the inability of Palestinians in the Strip to exercise most of their human rights.
Officials in the United States warn that, as Israel's invasion of northern Gaza continues, the Israel Defense Forces could be bogged down in a long-term occupation that could drain the country's resources in a situation not too different from what happened to the U.S. during the invasion of Afghanistan.
"They've been busy building tunnels. They've been busy putting it into weaponry. They've been busy planning this stuff and what you saw on Oct. 7 was absolute evidence of their extreme hatred for Israel," said Rep. Randy Weber of Texas, who warned that Hamas' armed wing has the determination to continue a protracted struggle against Israeli forces.
Learn more about the ongoing invasion of Gaza and the genocide of the Palestinian people at WWIII.news.
Watch this video from "Southfront Press" discussing the very costly gains Israel is making in its invasion of Gaza.
This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.
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