Hamas’ terror attack against Israel on October 7 had years of preparation and a clear purpose. Several high-ranking figures within the Palestinian terrorist group said this in an interview with the American newspaper ‘The New York Times’. For the first time, Hamas leaders explain why exactly they attacked Israel. “We knew that our great act would also be met with a great reaction, but we had to make it clear to people that we would not let the Palestinian issue die,” he said.
LOOK. Thus, Hamas launched the bloody attack against Israel on October 7
On October 7, Hama terrorists murdered 1,400 Israeli civilians and took more than 200 others to the Gaza Strip. Although the Israeli security services were taken completely by surprise by the Hamas attack – the so-called “Al-Aqsa flood” – the attack was preceded by years of preparation.
The decision to launch the attack on October 7 was made by a close-knit group of commanders in Gaza, who kept the date strictly secret for a long time. Among them were Yahya Sinwar (61), the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Mohammed Deif (58), the terrorist group’s military leader. Even the terrorists who were supposed to take part in the attack were only informed at the last minute.
Life in Gaza seemed to be going on as usual a few months before the attack. In recent fighting between the Israeli army and a number of militants, Hamas had stayed away. In addition, the terrorist group’s leaders had traveled to Qatar to negotiate more support for the Gazans.
But appearances are deceiving, because in reality tensions were running high. Palestinians attacked by Israelis in the West Bank, Israeli police officers storming the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (one of the holiest sites for Muslims), and Jews flouting the ban on praying on the Temple Mount. These were all events that increased the frustration among the Hama terrorists.
LOOK. Israel encircles Gaza City and disables Hamas tunnels
The result: in the early morning of Saturday, October 7, Hamas launched the planned terror attack. According to the leaders, the terrorists were ultimately able to cause many more victims than expected. This was mainly because they were able to break through Israeli defenses with little effort and therefore overrun military bases and residential areas without too much resistance.
We managed to put the Palestinian issue back on the table and now no one in the region has any peace anymore
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya
“The Palestinian Question”
For Hamas leaders, the attack had a clear purpose: they wanted to start a new phase in their fight against Israel and put an end to the status quo, it said. In particular, the leaders sought to revive “the Palestinian issue,” which had been sidelined in recent months. In addition, Hamas wanted to capture as many Israeli soldiers as possible to effect a prisoner exchange.
“It was necessary not just to confront, but to change the entire situation,” Khalil al-Hayya, 63, one of Hamas’s top executives, told The New York Times. “We managed to put the Palestinian issue back on the table and now no one in the region has any peace anymore,” he continued.
According to al-Hayya, it was clear in advance that Israel would hit back hard and bomb Gaza. “We knew that our great act would also be met with a great reaction, but we had to make it clear to people that we would not let the Palestinian issue die.”
I hope that the state of war with Israel becomes permanent on all borders
Taher El-Nounou, a spokesman for Hamas
“Permanent state of war”
Taher El-Nounou, a spokesman for Hamas, added that the terror group wanted to bring about “a permanent state of war.” “I hope that the state of war with Israel becomes permanent on all borders, and that the Arab world supports us,” El-Nounou said.
“Hamas’ goal is not to govern Gaza and provide it with water, electricity and the like,” al-Hayya emphasizes. “Hamas, the al-Qassam brigades and the resistance have woken the world from its deep sleep. The aim of this battle is not to improve the situation in Gaza, but to completely overthrow it,” the Hamas leader concluded.
But at the moment it is mainly the Palestinians who are paying a high price for Hamas’s “great deed”. According to figures from the terrorist group, more than 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7. Nearly 25,000 people have also been injured. The numbers are enormous compared to the more than 1,400 deaths on the Israeli side.
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