Hamas apologized for the first time to Gazans for the suffering caused by the war, in a long statement published Sunday evening on its Telegram channel. The Palestinian Islamist movement “apologizes” for the difficulties caused by the war against the Israeli army which has lasted for almost six months. But he also reiterates his desire to continue this war, which, according to him, must make it possible to achieve “victory and freedom” for the Palestinians.
Humanitarian needs are immense
He sent “a message of thanks to the people” of the Gaza Strip whose “exhaustion” he recognizes. The movement insisted on the measures it said it had tried to put in place to alleviate the difficulties, in particular attempts at “price control” within the limits of its capacities “given the ongoing aggression”. Hamas also claimed to communicate with “all components” of Gazan society, mentioning other armed movements, “popular committees” and “families” in order to “resolve the problems caused by the occupation”.
Humanitarian needs are immense in this territory already undermined before the war by an Israeli blockade imposed since 2006, poverty and unemployment. Aid is trickling in, and most of the population has been displaced to the southernmost part, around Rafah, near the closed Egyptian border. This city, which had fewer than 300,000 inhabitants before the war, is now home to more than a million, according to UN estimates.
Retaliation after the attack of October 7, 2023
In recent months, various Hamas personalities, such as Khaled Mechaal, former head of the Hamas political bureau, had estimated that “sacrifices” were necessary for the “liberation” of the Palestinians. The war was triggered by an unprecedented attack carried out from the Gaza Strip by Hamas on October 7 in Israel which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,160 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP count established from official Israeli data.
According to Israel, around 250 people were also kidnapped and 130 of them are still hostages in Gaza, 34 of whom died. In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization along with the United States and the European Union, and launched an offensive which left 32,782 dead, according to a latest report on Friday. Hamas Ministry of Health.