Hamas Does Not Have The Capability To Launch Another October 7-Like Attack: Israeli Envoy Reuven Azar To News18

Hamas does not have the capability to another launch October 7-like attack, Israeli envoy Reuven Azar told CNN-News18 in an exclusive conversation on their priorities and the war.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas gunmen stormed across Gaza’s border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets, killing children, the elderly and 364 youngsters at a music festival. Hamas took more than 250 others to Gaza as hostages. “We want to bring our hostages back and make sure Hamas does not regroup,” said the Ambassador of Israel to India.

Tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have steadily escalated over the past 11 months.

Hezbollah has been firing rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and its ally Hamas, a fellow Iran-backed militant group. Hezbollah is the strongest political and military actor in Lebanon and widely considered the top paramilitary force in the Arab world. Israel has responded with increasingly heavy airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders while threatening a wider operation.

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander Tuesday as part of a two-day bombing campaign that left more than 560 people dead and prompted thousands in southern Lebanon to seek refuge from the widening conflict. Monday’s escalation came after a particularly heavy exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah launched around 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters. Last week, thousands of communications devices, used mainly by Hezbollah members, exploded in different parts of Lebanon, killing 39 people and wounding nearly 3,000, many of them civilians. Lebanon blamed Israel, but Israel did not confirm or deny responsibility.

“If Israel would have had a bigger army we would have attacked Hezbollah an year ago. We have no choice but to escalate the situation. We don’t want to harm civilians,” said Azar, adding, “Thousands of people are leaving southern Lebanon. Israel is going out of its way to put civilians out of harm’s way. We are using technology we have never used before.”

“We are also trying to seek an end to the war, but we have to do it in accordance to our security interests. It is not about who is the mediator, it is about the merit of situation…The war will go on till we reach our limited goals. We want implementation of the UNSC resolution 1702 in the north, in the south, we want to bring hostages back,” he said.

“Lebanon was hijacked by Hezbollah and is being used to attack Israel. If they don’t stop, they will pay a huge price. How high the price will be depends on them. Iran is feeding them…We are dealing with a terrorist organisation which has acquired capabilities of an army and manipulates respect for international law. Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel,” he said.

With Agency Inputs

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