In reference to Hamas’s October 7 surprise attack on Israel:
“Hamas’s goal is not to run Gaza and to bring it water and electricity and such. Hamas, the Qassam and the resistance woke the world up from its deep sleep and showed that this issue must remain on the table. This battle was not because we wanted fuel or laborers. It did not seek to improve the situation in Gaza. This battle is to completely overthrow the situation.”Ben Hubbard and Maria Abi-Habib, “Behind Hamas’s Bloody Gambit to Create a ‘Permanent’ State of War,” New York Times, last updated November 9, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-gaza-war.html.