Hamas will rise like a phoenix: Khaled Meshaal
Last Updated on October 10, 2024 6:47 am
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of the armed group, has said that Hamas will rise again like a fairy-tale phoenix from the ruins of the year-long war with Israel. He also said that Hamas still continues to recruit fighters and produce weapons.
The Hamas leader said these things in an interview given to the news agency Reuters on the one year anniversary of the Gaza war.
Meshal said that although the ongoing conflict in Gaza has lasted for a year, it is part of a larger conflict of 76 years. The war of 1948 displaced many people and Israel was born. That period is known to Palestinians as the ‘Great Disaster’ or ‘Nakba’.
At the moment, Meshaal (68) is one of the most senior leaders of the organization after Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.
“We go through a phase when many are martyred and our military capabilities are reduced,” the Hamas leader said. But the Palestinian spirit reawakened. Like the phoenix from the rubble we rise again. God is kind.
In 1997, Israel tried to kill Meshal by poisoning. But he survived. Meshal served as head of Hamas from 1996 to 2017.
According to him, Hamas still has the ability to launch surprise attacks against Israeli forces. Hamas fired four missiles at Israelis on Monday morning. But Israel resisted all of them.
Meshal said, “Our stockpile of ammunition and weapons has been partially damaged, but Hamas is still recruiting young fighters and continues to produce weapons and ammunition.”
Middle East analysts say Meshaal is still a powerful figure in Hamas and his remarks indicate that Hamas will continue fighting despite losses.
Joost R. Hilterman, director of the International Crisis Group’s Middle East and North Africa program, said, “Overall, I would say (Hamas) is holding up well and it’s very likely that they will return to Gaza at some point in the future.”
He also said that Israel has no plans for what will happen to Gaza after the war. As a result, Hamas may return. But they may not be as strong as before.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on Meshaal’s interview.
Israel claims that Hamas no longer has the integrated military infrastructure it used to have. They have adopted guerilla warfare tactics.
They also claimed that about a third of the total casualties in Gaza, or 17,000 people, were Hamas fighters. Israel has confirmed the loss of 350 soldiers in the year-long war.