Report: Hamas threatened Israel with attack like October 7th

Middle East

Report: Hamas threatened Israel with attack like October 7th

Hamas is said to have threatened Israel with a new attack like the one on October 7th. The harsh warning was transmitted via a UN envoy. But is Hamas still capable of doing this militarily?

The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas is said to be… Israel warned with unusually strong words of another attack like the one on October 7, 2023. The Israeli agency responsible for Palestinian affairs, Cogat, confirmed a report by the news portal “ynet” that the threat was made at a meeting between UN Middle East envoy Ramiz Alakbarov and a Cogat representative on Wednesday. Alakbarov held talks with leading Hamas members last week. The representation cannot be independently verified.

The background to the threat is, among other things, the actions of the Israeli army, which, even a year after announcing a ceasefire in the Gaza war, continues to occupy more than half of the Gaza Strip and is taking targeted action against suspected Hamas members, the portal reported. Another reason is the cancellation of the Palestinian elections originally announced for November. According to “ynet,” the message was that Hamas was not prepared to accept this situation any longer. Israel’s political leadership and security authorities were immediately informed.

Doubts about Hamas’s military capabilities

On October 7, 2023, fighters from Hamas and other extremist organizations killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 others hostage Gaza Strip kidnapped. The unprecedented attack sparked the Gaza War. Since then, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains extremely precarious. Large parts of the area are in ruins, many people still live in tents and are dependent on humanitarian aid.

According to the “ynet” report, Hamas warned that a similar attack could occur anywhere – in Israel itself, in occupied Israel West Bank or abroad. However, it is questionable whether Hamas still has the operational capabilities for such an attack after three years of war. Although there are reports of new fighters being recruited, they are said to have little experience or military training.