Hamas Threatens New October 7-Style Attacks Against Israel
Hamas warned Israel it is prepared to execute another October 7-style massacre following eroding control in Gaza and financial crises.
Senior officials from Hamas warned Israel that they are prepared to execute another attack similar to the October 7, 2023, massacre, targeting locations inside Israel, the West Bank, and abroad. The threat was delivered last week to UN humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov in the Gaza Strip, who relayed the message to Major General Yoram Halevy of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) on Wednesday.
Hamas officials cited several factors for the escalation, including ongoing Israeli military operations, shifts in the Yellow Line boundary, and the cancellation of November 28 elections by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The group is also facing a severe financial crisis, reportedly requiring 90 million shekels monthly to pay its 30,000 personnel.
Israeli officials described the warning as unprecedented in its bluntness. The threat coincides with intensified Israeli targeted killings of Hamas' Nukhba force, including the recent killing of Tamer Muhammad Ibrahim al-Sabbagh, the final member of a cell responsible for the death of civilian Shani Louk. While international mediators and the Board of Peace have pressured Hamas to disarm as a condition for a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli security officials believe the group is using delaying tactics. Meanwhile, Israel continues to block the entry of a Palestinian police force or technocratic committee into Gaza.
