More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in the month since Hamas led a terror attack inside southern Israel, according to the group’s health ministry in Gaza.
But Hamas officials say the mounting death toll, believed to include thousands of children, has not caused the group to regret its own slaughter of 1,400 people in southern Israel last month.
Indeed, Hamas leaders openly admit that their aim is to provoke a strong response, and they harbor aspirations for a more extensive conflict. Their strategy revolves around derailing discussions about Israel establishing normalized ties with regional powers, particularly Saudi Arabia. The ultimate goal is to shift global attention towards the Palestinian cause. According to these officials, Hamas prioritizes the annihilation of Israel over the temporary challenges faced by Palestinians during Israeli airstrikes.
Khailil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s governing politburo, emphasized that a significant event was crucial in altering the dynamics. He acknowledged that the reaction to this event was anticipated to be substantial. The October 7 attack signaled that Hamas was more inclined to engage in a broader war in support of Palestinians everywhere, rather than focusing solely on governing the Gaza Strip.
Al-Hayya clarified that Hamas’s objective goes beyond managing Gaza’s basic needs, such as water and electricity. the month since Hamas
He credited the October 7 attack with bringing global attention to the Palestinian cause, awakening the world to the challenges faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. According to al-Hayya, the battle aimed not at obtaining resources or laborers but at completely transforming the existing situation.