Hamas planned the devastating terrorist attack on Israel for two years while seeking to rule Gaza, but was “surprised” that it could kidnap and massacre so many people, according to an exiled leader.
Ali Barakeh, a member of the terrorist group’s exiled leadership in Lebanon, said key members intentionally projected a “rational” image to the world to hide their sinister intentions.
“We made them think that Hamas was busy ruling Gaza and wanted to focus on the 2.5 million Palestinians. [in Gaza]and has abandoned the resistance completely,” Barakeh told Russia Today TV.
“Meanwhile, under the table, Hamas was preparing for this big attack.”
To help hide it from Israeli intelligence, only “a limited number of Hamas leaders knew” it was going to happen, Barakeh told the pro-Kremlin channel.
“Zero hour was kept completely secret,” he said.
“The number of people who knew about the attack and its timing could be counted on one hand.”
Ali Barakeh, a member of the Hamas leadership exiled in Lebanon, said in an interview with a Russian news channel that Hamas was surprised by the extent of its success in Israel. Visegrád24 A propaganda video posted on X reportedly shows Hamas terrorists using fan-powered paragliders to invade Israel on October 7, 2023. people. REUTERS
Still, he and his fellow Hamas leaders never expected to be able to kill more than 1,200 people – mostly civilians, including children – and kidnap at least another 150 people who are now being threatened with execution.
“We were surprised by this huge collapse,” Barakeh separately told the Associated Press.
“We were planning to get some advances and take prisoners to exchange. “This army was a paper tiger.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
In fact, an anonymous diplomatic source told the Middle East news outlet Al-Monitor that the plan had been dramatically more modest.
“They were hoping to kill some Israelis, embarrass the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and return to Gaza with two or three kidnapped Israelis,” the source said.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.REUTERS A propaganda video posted on @XTrendHunter More than 1,200 Israelis have been killed, more than 3,000 people have been injured, and at least 100 have been taken hostage.
“Instead, they wandered inside Israel for more than a day, killing more than a thousand Israelis and becoming trapped with about 200 kidnapped,” the source added.
“Their success surprised them, too.”
Instead of celebrating the fact, Hamas is now “very concerned” that the attack was too successful for its own good, the diplomatic source suggested.
The worst attack on Israel in 50 years: how we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip more than three decades after seizing the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: The terrorist group Hamas wins the Palestinian legislative elections.
2007: Hamas takes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches a military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fire rockets at the city of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches largest attack on Israel in 50 years.
More than 1,300 Israelis have been killed, more than 3,000 wounded and at least 100 taken hostage, with the death toll expected to rise after Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of militants into Israeli cities. .
Hamas terrorists were seen taking women hostage and parading them down the street in gruesome videos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “We are at war” and promised that Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
Gaza health officials report that at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,000 injured.
“With two kidnapped, they could have negotiated with Israel permission to build a seaport and the freedom of hundreds of prisoners imprisoned in Israeli jails,” the source said.
“With more than 100 kidnapped, they will face the entire Israeli army inside Gaza. That is the tragedy of his success.”
With postal cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn