By Samia Nakhoul, Ahmed Jadallah and Andrew Mills
(Reuters) – Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal mentioned the Palestinian group would rise “like a phoenix” from the ashes regardless of heavy losses throughout a 12 months of warfare with Israel, and that it continues to recruit fighters and manufacture weapons.
One 12 months after the Hamas assault that triggered the warfare, Meshaal framed the battle with Israel as a part of a broader narrative spanning 76 years, relationship again to what Palestinians name the “Nakba” or “catastrophe,” when many had been displaced throughout the 1948 warfare that accompanied the creation of Israel.
“Palestinian history is made of cycles,” Meshaal, 68, a senior Hamas determine below general chief Yahya Sinwar, advised Reuters in an interview.
“We go through phases where we lose martyrs (victims) and we lose part of our military capabilities, but then the Palestinian spirit rises again, like the phoenix, thanks to God.”
Meshaal, who survived an Israeli assassination try in 1997 after he was injected with poison and was general Hamas chief from 1996-2017, mentioned the Islamist militant group was nonetheless in a position to mount ambushes towards Israeli troops.
“We lost part of our ammunition and weapons, but Hamas is still recruiting young men and continues to manufacture a significant portion of its ammunition and weapons,” mentioned Meshaal, with out offering particulars.
Meshaal stays influential in Hamas as a result of he has performed an important function in its management for nearly three many years, and is extensively seen now as its diplomatic face. He’s one among six Hamas leaders indicted by the U.S. Justice Division on terrorism fees over the Oct. 7 assault on Israel that triggered the warfare.
His feedback seem supposed as a sign that the group will battle on no matter its losses, Center East analysts mentioned.
“Overall I would say (Hamas is) alive and kicking still and … will probably come back at some point in Gaza,” mentioned Joost R. Hiltermann, Center East and North Africa Program Director of the Worldwide Disaster Group.
He mentioned Israel had not spelled out a plan for Gaza when the warfare ends, and this might enable Hamas to re-establish itself though maybe not with such power or in the identical type.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace declined touch upon Meshaal’s remarks.
‘TICKING TIME BOMB’
Israel started its offensive towards Hamas after about 1,200 individuals had been killed and round 250 taken hostage within the Hamas assault on Oct. 7 final 12 months, in keeping with Israeli tallies.
A lot of Gaza has been laid to waste and about 42,000 Palestinians have been killed within the offensive, in keeping with Palestinian well being officers.
Israel says Hamas not exists as an organised army construction and has been decreased to guerrilla ways. At the very least a 3rd of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza, round 17,000 individuals, are Hamas fighters, in keeping with Israeli officers. About 350 Israeli troopers have been killed in fight in Gaza.
Meshaal mentioned he noticed no prospects for peace whereas Netanyahu’s authorities is in energy. Israel blames Hamas, whose founding constitution requires Israel’s destruction, for the failure to safe peace.
“As long as the (Israeli) occupation exists, the region remains a ticking time bomb,” Meshaal mentioned.
