More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in the month since Hamas’ terrorist attacks inside southern Israel, the group’s health ministry in Gaza says.

But Hamas officials say the mounting death toll, believed to include thousands of children, has not caused the group to regret its actions in southern Israel, which Israeli officials said killed 1,400 people.

In fact, Hamas leaders say that their goal was to trigger this very response and that they’re still hoping for a bigger war. It’s all part of a strategy, they say, to derail talks over Israel normalizing relations with regional powers — namely, Saudi Arabia — and draw the world’s attention to the Palestinian cause.

Hamas, these officials say, is more interested in the destruction of Israel than what it sees as the temporary hardships faced by Palestinians under Israeli bombardment.

“What could change the equation was a great act, and without a doubt, it was known that the reaction to this great act would be big,” Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the group’s governing politburo, told The New York Times in an interview.

  • @assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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    21 year ago

    the occupation government to take Hamas’ place

    Not at all. I want the UN to govern the area as a protectorate while the pillars of government are built, and a global coalition serving as the military. Discourage Israel from bombing unless they want to kill soldiers from all nations, and build up the functions necessary for a healthy democracy.

    • Limitless_screaming
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      21 year ago

      Even if this was to happen, do you think killing soldiers of every nation would discourage them? That’s just another disgusting act to add to the pile.

      The UN would absolutely not be able to protect Palestine from sabotage and sanctions when the US is on the sabotaging side.

      • @assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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        01 year ago

        I think willfully killing Western soldiers would very quickly end Western support for them. They may not feel discouraged from killing them, but they are as hell would be discouraged by the consequences.

        You’re right about the second point though. The UN wouldn’t be able to do a ton, as much as I’d like it to be otherwise.