Palestinian Territories — Palestinian militant group Hamas mentioned Sunday its October 7 assaults in southern Israel had been a “necessary step” in opposition to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
But the Islamist group admitted in a 16-page report justifying the assault that “some faults happened… due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the border areas with Gaza.”
The doc was the group’s first public report launched in English and Arabic explaining the background to the assault, when the militants broke by means of Gaza’s militarized border.
At the top of a Jewish vacation on October 7, lots of of Hamas fighters crossed into Israel by land, air and sea and killed civilians within the streets, of their properties and at an outside rave occasion.
The assault resulted within the deaths of about 1,140 individuals, principally civilians, in line with an AFP tally based mostly on official Israeli figures.
Around 700 Israeli civilians and 76 foreigners had been among the many lifeless, with one Israeli nonetheless lacking, in line with Israeli social safety knowledge.
During the assault, the gunmen seized round 250 hostages, in line with the most recent Israeli figures.
Israeli officers say round 132 captives stay in Gaza, of whom not less than 27 are believed to have been killed.
“If there was any case of targeting civilians it happened accidentally and in the course of the confrontation with the occupation forces,” Hamas mentioned within the report.
“Many Israelis were killed by the Israeli army and police due to their confusion.”
‘Halt Israeli aggression’
Israel retaliated by declaring a conflict to destroy Hamas, pounding the Gaza Strip within the deadliest bombing marketing campaign the realm has ever confronted.
Israel deployed tens of 1000’s of troops alongside the Gaza frontier and on the northern border with Lebanon.
It declared a whole siege of Gaza, chopping off provides of water, electrical energy and meals, selections denounced by the United Nations.
Israel’s retaliation has killed not less than 25,105 individuals in Gaza, principally girls, kids and adolescents, in line with the well being ministry within the territory.
Israeli officers have repeatedly alleged that the militants dedicated gang rape, genital mutilation and engaged in sexual acts with kids and corpses through the assault.
Hamas has rejected the accusations, saying they had been meant to “demonize” it.
The militant group mentioned the assault was “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people.”
On Sunday, Hamas urged “the immediate halt of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against the entire Gaza population.”
And the group mentioned it rejected any worldwide and Israeli efforts to determine Gaza’s post-war future.
“We stress that the Palestinian people have the capacity to decide their future and to arrange their internal affairs,” the report mentioned, including that “no party in the world” had the suitable to determine on their behalf.
Hamas pointed to the historic origins of the battle, saying “the battle of the Palestinian people against occupation and colonialism did not start on October 7, but started 105 years ago, including 30 years of British colonialism and 75 years of Zionist occupation.”
The group mentioned it needed to “hold the Israeli occupation legally accountable” for the struggling it had inflicted on the Palestinian individuals. — AFP
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
