THE NEW YORK TIMES: Rising domestic pressures and a desire to boost its anti-Israel credentials pushed Hamas to attack and most likely drove its decision to inflict terror.
The day Israelis woke to the horror that the Palestinian squads that had infiltrated their country were shooting soldiers and civilians and dragging captives back to Gaza, the shadowy commander of Hamas’s military wing released a rare message blessing the attack.
Speaking from a secret location, the commander, Muhammad Deif, described the operation as an explosion of anger at Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and told his forces it was a first step toward Israel’s destruction.
“Righteous fighters, this is your day to bury this criminal enemy. Its time has finished. Kill them wherever you find them,” he said in an audio message posted on social media. “Remove this filth from your land and your sacred places. Fight and the angels fight with you.”
Mounting grievances fueled Hamas’s decision to attack, but the nature of that attack was shaped by a deep thirst for revenge built up over decades of conflict — a desire to see Israel bleed. » | Ben Hubbard, Reporting from Cairo | Wednesday, October 11, 2023
