On January 21, the Hamas Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip publicly reported on the Israeli raid on October 7, 2023, affirming that it was a "necessary step" against Israel.
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| Hamas's attack on Israel caused heavy casualties and property damage, leading to months of bloody conflict in the Gaza Strip. (source: Sky News) |
The document is Hamas' first public report in English and Arabic on the October 7 raid, when it crossed the Gaza military line. The raid killed about 1,140 people, most of them civilians, AFP reported.
According to the document, Hamas stressed that this raid was “a necessary step and a normal response to all Israeli plots against the Palestinian people”.
However, in the 16-page report, Hamas admitted that “some mistakes were made… due to the rapid collapse of Israel's security and military systems, as well as the chaos along the border areas with Gaza.”
The movement urged Israel to “immediately end” its attacks and actions “against the entire Gaza people.”
Hours after Hamas released the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had rejected the movement's conditions for releasing the hostages.
The Israeli government leader shared: “Hamas demands an end to the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza, the release of all prisoners of war… If we accept these conditions, our soldiers will have sacrificed in vain. If we accept, we will not be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens.”
Regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip, on the same day, in an interview with CNN, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that it is impossible to normalize relations with Israel without resolving the Palestinian issue.
“That is the only way we can achieve our interests… because we need stability and this can only be achieved through resolving the Palestinian issue,” the diplomat stressed.
As for the European Union (EU), according to the Jerusalem Post , the bloc is considering the possibility of imposing "consequences" on Israel if Prime Minister Netanyahu's administration continues to oppose the proposal to establish a Palestinian state.
The issue will be discussed at an EU foreign ministers' meeting on January 22, as support for Israel is wavering due to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.
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