Israel shares Hamas note encouraging beheadings
What's the story
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shared a note on Wednesday that was allegedly recovered from a Hamas terrorist involved in the October 7 attack. The note, written in Arabic, reportedly states that their "enemy (Israelis) are a disease" that has no cure except for "beheading" and mutilation. "Know that this enemy of yours is a disease that has no cure, other than beheading and extracting the hearts and livers!" the note shared by the IDF read.
Details
Note found on Hamas terrorist
In the social media post, the Israeli military revealed that the note was reportedly given to a terrorist involved in the October 7 attack. Through the note, the Hamas commanders aim to encourage the terrorists to commit inhumane acts against Israeli residents. At least 5,800 Palestinians and 1,500 Israelis have died since the October 7 attack. The strike involved thousands of rockets being launched into Israeli territory and infiltration by Hamas terrorist forces from the Gaza Strip.
What Next?
Palestinians have experienced 56 years of occupation: UN chief
Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres questioned Israeli actions in Gaza, following which Israel declared it would reject visas for UN officials. Guterres claimed that the October 7 attacks "didn't happen in a vacuum," adding that Palestinians have experienced "56 years of suffocating occupation." Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, mentioned they have already denied a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths and demanded Guterres' resignation.
Insights
Israeli foreign minister lambasts UN chief
During a Security Council meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized Guterres' statements, inquiring, "Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live?" Cohen added that there is "no place" for a "balanced approach" and subsequently called off a private meeting with Guterres. Later, addressing reporters at the Security Council, Cohen said, "There are not two sides and there is only one side to support."
Twitter Post
IDF shares Hamas commander's note
“Know that this enemy of yours is a disease that has no cure, other than beheading and extracting the hearts and livers!"
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 25, 2023
This note was found on a Hamas terrorist from the October 7 massacre. It was handed to him by Hamas commanders in Gaza as encouragement to behead their… pic.twitter.com/B2Kx2znuGj
Hamas
Hamas planned Israel attack for 2 years
A small group of Hamas operatives secretly planned the attack on Israel over two years using landline phones in the web of tunnels underneath Gaza spanning 500km, CNN reported. This enabled Hamas to avoid detection by Israeli intelligence officials and catch them off-guard. The militants also employed traditional counterintelligence tactics, such as holding in-person meetings. The information was limited to a small cell of operatives, and a larger group of fighters above ground were prepared shortly before the attack.