From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Hamas official says group will repeat Oct. 7 attack ‘twice and three times’ to destroy Israel
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, says in an interview with a Lebanese TV channel that the terror group will repeat the October 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated.
“Israel is a country that has no place on our land,” Hamad says in an interview with TV network LBC on October 24, which was published today by MEMRI. “We must remove it because it constitutes a security, military and political catastrophe to the Arab and Islamic nation. We are not ashamed to say this.”
A clip of the interview is shared today on X by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
How can there be peace when Hamas are committed to the eradication of Israel?
This is an official from Hamas committing to repeat the atrocities from 07/10 again and again.
— James Cleverly???????? (@JamesCleverly) November 1, 2023
In the interview, Hamad says that Israel must be wiped off all “Palestinian lands,” i.e., must be completely annihilated, claiming that its existence is “illogical.”
“We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice and three times. The al-Aqsa Deluge [the name Hamas gave its October 7 onslaught] is just the first time,” Hamad continues. “Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.”
The Hamas official also repeats the false mantra that Hamas did not intend to harm civilians, but there were “complications” on the ground. Overwhelming evidence has emerged over the past three weeks of deliberate attacks against Israeli civilians, as part of the instructions given by Hamas commanders.
“We are the victims of the occupation. Period. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October one-millionth, everything we do is justified,” Hamad says.
