More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in the month since Hamas’ terrorist attacks inside southern Israel, the group’s health ministry in Gaza says.

But Hamas officials say the mounting death toll, believed to include thousands of children, has not caused the group to regret its actions in southern Israel, which Israeli officials said killed 1,400 people.

In fact, Hamas leaders say that their goal was to trigger this very response and that they’re still hoping for a bigger war. It’s all part of a strategy, they say, to derail talks over Israel normalizing relations with regional powers — namely, Saudi Arabia — and draw the world’s attention to the Palestinian cause.

Hamas, these officials say, is more interested in the destruction of Israel than what it sees as the temporary hardships faced by Palestinians under Israeli bombardment.

“What could change the equation was a great act, and without a doubt, it was known that the reaction to this great act would be big,” Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the group’s governing politburo, told The New York Times in an interview.

  • shatal@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It almost sounds like you’re justifying Hamas’s actions.

    I fully understand the context, I’m just not sure I understand what it has to do with a post I wrote about the potential escalation to a regional war.

    As tragic as it is, not everything is about the suffering of the Palestinians.

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      How, I’ve made comparisons and pointed out disparity, stop projecting because you’re certainly trying to absolve Israel if I’m " justifying Hamas".

      How doesn’t it? The escalation is 100% Israel at this point, even other nations that did back action are now backing out because hospital and school strikes leaving piles of noncombatants doesn’t look good.

      Nor is it in fact all about the suffering of isrealis, I do love a pot calling a kettle black though.

      • shatal@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Property lines the same international community admits and admonishes Israel for violating and the very same that have says time and time again gazan occupation is a crime by international law

        Justifying - I was referring to this (on a side note - Israel isn’t occupying Gaza for nearly 20 years now).

        Ok, so if understand you correctly, you’re saying that due to the disproportionality between Israel and Hamas military capabilities, the regional Islamist extremists are joining in to balance the playing field?

        Maybe. Personally I don’t think so. I don’t think any of these organisation really cares about the Palestinians, but they do see an opportunity.

        I reckon they think that the world and Israel is so busy with Gaza that they can get away with it, similar to what Putin is now doing in Ukraine.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That was a direct response to your mention of property lines. International courts disagree with you and the constant public invasion and destruction of illegal Israeli settlements in both the West Bank and Gaza are pretty good evidence that you’re wrong.

          Correct, just as the us and others have backed Israel and provided support.

          You’re probably right, Israel certainly didn’t care about them and Iran and the like are joining in because it benefits them any country would do and have done the same.

          They don’t care, the us will never back away from Israel. They see the bases there as integral to foreign defense. It’s not particularly well known but the us operates a mountain top surveillance base in Israel which is a not unsubstantial part of why Iran is pissed.