Hamas trying to draw other actors into war - IDF spox

11.10.2023 03:31

Ukrinform

Hamas has been calling on Arabs living in other countries to join the war against Israel in an effort to slay as many Jews as possible.

That’s according to Masha Michelson, the spokeswoman of the Israel Defense Force, who gave an exclusive comment to Ukrinform.

"What we’ve seen from the very start is that Hamas has called on Hezbollah in the north, the Israeli Arabs and the Palestinians in Lebanon, Syria, and Judea and Samaria to get involved in this war and help them," Michelson said.

Explaining the nature of the Hamas terrorist organization, the agency’s interlocutor noted that their main goal is to "destroy the state of Israel and kill as many Jews as possible."

She also admitted that the terrorists partially achieved their goals, as "more Jews were killed in a single day than in any other day since the end of World War 2."

Commenting on the issue of potential attacks on Israel from the north, Michelson said that four terrorists, not affiliated with Hezbollah, managed to penetrate into Israel from Lebanon on October 9, but all of them were killed shortly after.

The IDF responded to the incident with strikes on Hezbollah's infrastructure in southern Lebanon, the spokeswoman for the IDF said.

Commenting on the IDF’s objectives, the spokeswoman said that the main goal is to ensure that "Hamas, as a terrorist organization, is never able to attack Israel again."

As reported, on the morning of October 7, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Militants invaded the country, simultaneously launching a massive rocket attack.

Israel has officially declared a state of war. The death toll from Hamas attacks exceeded 900. Among those killed are two citizens of Ukraine.

The EU, as well as the U.S., Ukraine, and a number of other countries have condemned the attacks on Israel.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates warned Syria against any interference in the war between Hamas and Israel. According to media reports, several governments, including that of the United States, are concerned that the war could spill over into the territory of Lebanon or Syria and turn into a regional conflict.