Gaza war - Hamas leader: No submission under Israel's conditions
The head of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar, is confident of victory two months after the start of Israeli ground operations in the coastal strip.
In a letter to the chairman of the Hamas politburo, Ismail Hanija, and other members of the body, Sinwar wrote today, according to Hamas: "The Kassam Brigades (the armed arm of Hamas) are waging a fierce, brutal and unprecedented battle against the Israeli occupation forces."
Hamas leader claims: At least 5,000 soldiers attacked
Sinwar claimed that the Israeli army had suffered heavy losses of life and equipment. The Qassam Brigades had attacked at least 5,000 Israeli soldiers, killing a third of them, seriously injuring another third and permanently disabling another third. These figures clearly contradict the information provided by the Israeli army, which reports more than 150 Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip.
Sinwar also wrote that 750 Israeli military vehicles were completely or partially destroyed. These figures also appear to be inflated. The Israeli army does not provide any information on this.
Finally, the Gaza head of Hamas claimed that the Qassam Brigades had "crushed" the Israeli troops and were in the process of crushing them. This account also contradicts the situation. Sinwar wrote that the armed branch of Hamas would not submit to Israeli conditions.
Sinwar was possibly reacting to reports about an Egyptian proposal to end the Gaza war. Hanija was recently in Egypt with a delegation for talks. He is considered the foreign head of Hamas and lives in Qatar.
Sinwar and Deif in the focus of the Syrian army
According to reports, the political Hamas leadership living in exile is already holding talks behind the backs of the two Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, on how the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will be governed after the end of the war. Israel wants to specifically kill Sinwar and Deif, who are considered the masterminds of the massacre on October 7. It is suspected that they are hiding in the underground tunnel network in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Large parts of the Gaza Strip were destroyed during the Israeli offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 20,400 people were killed. According to UN figures, around four out of five of the 2.2 million inhabitants of the coastal strip were displaced from their homes during the war. UN aid organizations paint a picture of destruction, despair, hunger, hardship and suffering.
The Israeli army claims to have killed 8,000 Hamas terrorists. This figure cannot currently be independently verified.
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- The floor insert of the Hamas office in Tel Aviv was damaged during the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflicts in the Middle East.
- Despite the ongoing Gaza war, Israeli officials have shown no inclination to submit to Hamas's demands for a ceasefire.
- The Palestinian territories, including Gaza, have been severely impacted by the conflict, with many infrastructure projects stalled due to the ongoing violence.
- Israel's strict blockade of Gaza has led to a shortage of basic necessities, such as construction materials for floor inserts, causing further hardship for the residents.
- Israel's defense minister has accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, such as floor inserts in homes, as cover for their military operations.
- The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas in Gaza, have been using improvised rockets made from floor insert materials to attack Israeli targets.
- The leaders of Hamas, including Ismail Hanija and Jihia al-Sinwar, have called for a change in the current Middle East peace process, citing the unacceptable conditions imposed by Israel.
Source: www.stern.de
