Hamas laid 'trap' for 'Israel' to provoke Gaza invasion: Ex-MI6 chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: BBC
13 Oct 2023 19:27
2 Shares

The former MI6 chief says that "Israel" is doing exactly what Hamas wants it to do.

Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah, File )

Former MI6 chief Alex Younger told BBC on Friday that Hamas' recent operation may have been a strategy to entice "Israel" into a costly ground invasion of Gaza.

These remarks were made in an interview on the BBC's "The Today Podcast," following Hamas fighters' actions in Israeli-occupied Palestine.

"I absolutely understand and endorse Israel's right to defend themselves in the circumstances, and indeed to restore the credibility of those defenses, so that that sense of psychological safety can be restored to the people. But here's the thing, you shouldn't do what your enemy wants you to do," said Younger.

"It's really obvious now that Hamas is essentially laying a trap for Israel," he added, noting that it "will be well pleased if Israel commits itself to an open-ended, full-scale ground invasion of Gaza because of the scale and intensity of conflict that would entail, and the loss of innocent life that would inevitably follow and the radicalization that would engender, and the extent to which will put Israel's allies and partners in the region in an impossible position."

He further said that Hamas may have been taken aback by the remarkable success of its mission, as its fighters managed to outmaneuver Israeli surveillance and breach "Israel's" advanced border security systems, ultimately advancing approximately 30 kilometers into Israeli territory.

Gaza and its people have been under occupation for as long as the Israeli regime has come into existence. As an apartheid structure, "Israel" is responsible for the systemic discrimination and violation of Palestinians' human rights.

Gazans find themselves confined within what is often referred to as an "open-air concentration camp." Over the years, they have been intentionally denied the basic necessities of life, including their children.

Periodically, they have endured substantial casualties in violent conflicts. However, they are solely held responsible when they attempt to break free from these conditions.

In the wake of the resistance operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas. However, analysts suggest that if the IOF were to invade Gaza, they would not only encounter strong opposition from Hamas but also cause a significant number of civilian casualties.

Over the week, negotiations have been taking place to allow US citizens and Palestinian civilians to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt before the Israeli occupation forces carry out a military ground operation.

According to CNN, the proposal would imply that US citizens will have the option to cross through the Rafah border crossing upon presenting a US passport.

Moreover, it is reported that the daily limit for Palestinian civilians departing the Gaza Strip will be capped at 2,000 individuals.

However, on Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-El-Sisi said that Egypt is already providing safety and security to "nine million guests," but the situation of Gazans "is different" as their displacement would signify "the elimination of the (Palestinian) cause."

Earlier today, Al-Qassam Brigades military spokesperson Abu Obeida said that they won't allow the occupation to cause the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

"The cowardly trembling enemy is weaker than to force our people to abandon their land."

"I say to the occupation that forced displacement is not in our dictionary; it only applies to our occupied cities," he added.