Another October 7? Shock in Israel After an Alarming Message from Hamas Leaders
Israel’s security establishment has been shaken by a message from Hamas, relayed through a United Nations official and described by security sources as “serious and unprecedented”. In it, the movement threatened to repeat the October 7 attack.
Senior Hamas officials sent Israel an unusual message, unprecedented in its frankness and directness: the movement said it was prepared to launch another attack similar to October 7 and could strike wherever an opportunity arose, whether inside Israel, in the West Bank or abroad.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, senior Hamas officials delivered the message to UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov during a meeting at his office in the Gaza Strip last week. They asked him to convey it to Israel.
The Hamas leaders told Alakbarov that Israeli military operations in Gaza, the shifting of the “yellow line” and the Palestinian Authority’s cancellation of elections were causing the movement to lose control of the territory. They said they were unwilling to accept the continuation of this situation.
Alakbarov met yesterday with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Yoram Halevi, and relayed the Hamas leaders’ message.
Israeli officials regard the message as an exceptionally serious threat, saying no such warning had previously been delivered so explicitly and directly.
A document detailing the threat from the Hamas leadership against Israel was submitted to political and security officials for urgent review.
According to the newspaper, these developments reflect the pressure on Hamas as Israel has recently intensified its military campaign through a lengthy series of targeted killings of Nukhba force members and senior figures in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, as previously noted, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, cancelled elections scheduled for 28 November.
The “Board of Peace” and mediators have called on Hamas to disarm. Israel, however, assesses that the movement will not agree to complete disarmament and will instead resort to delaying tactics.
At the same time, Israel is currently refusing to allow the technocratic committee or Palestinian police forces to enter the Gaza Strip and assume their duties under the ceasefire agreement and peace plan.
Behind the scenes, Hamas is also facing severe financial difficulties. The movement needs approximately 90 million shekels a month simply to continue paying its members.
Security establishment estimates put the number of such members in the Gaza Strip at around 30,000, ranging from lower-ranking personnel to members of the military wing, each receiving approximately 3,000 shekels a month. In addition, another 50,000 employees work for the Hamas government.
Responding to the threat this morning, Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the “Yashar!” party, sharply criticised the government: “More than three years after the greatest catastrophe in the nation’s history, Hamas still controls the Gaza Strip and poses a threat to Israel’s citizens.”
He added: “No other Israeli government has enjoyed such strong public and international legitimacy to dismantle Hamas.
Yet no other government has failed so consistently and negligently to achieve the war objectives it set for itself, while simultaneously squandering the achievements of the forces on the ground.”
