"We must teach Israel a lesson...," Hamas official vows to 'repeat' Oct 7 attack

Tel Aviv [Israel], November 2 (ANI): A senior member of Hamas hailed the attack it carried out in Israel on October 7 and stressed that if given a chance, the terror group will repeat similar assaults many times in the future until Israel is exterminated, reported The Times of Israel.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's political bureau shared his remarks in an interview with Lebanese Television channel LBC, which was later translated and published on Wednesday by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), according to The Times of Israel.
"Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove it because it constitutes a security, military and political catastrophe to the Arab and Islamic nations. We are not ashamed to say this," he said.
He further said that Israel's existence is "illogical" and that it must be wiped off all "Palestinian lands," a term the Hamas terror group uses to refer to the West Bank, Gaza and Israel minus the Golan Heights.
As they were asked whether this meant the complete annihilation of Israel, Hamas replied, "Yes, of course," The Times of Israel reported.
"We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice and three times. The Al-Aqsa Deluge (the name Hamas gave its October 7 onslaught) is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth," Hamad added.
"Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs," the terror group member said.
Additionally, Hamad also repeated the assertion that Hamas had not intended to harm civilians, but that there were "complications" on the ground.
Moreover, evidence has been revealed over the past three weeks of terror attacks against Israeli civilians, as part of the instructions given by Hamas commanders, reported The Times of Israel.
The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) released a video clip last week, purportedly showing Hamas terrorists confessing their active participation in the deadly terror attacks in southern Israel.
These terrorists went from house to house and executed or burned entire families, and some 260 civilians were massacred at the outdoor music festival on October 7.
"We are the victims of the occupation. Period. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October one-millionth, everything we do is justified," Hamad said.
Nearly 3,000 Hamas terrorists on October 7, burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air and sea, and killed some 1,400 people, taking at least 245 hostages of all ages under their cover as they attacked by thousands of rocket fire at Israeli towns and cities, according to The Times of Israel.
Moreover, the majority of those killed by Hamas terrorists were civilians, including babies, children, and the elderly. Entire families were executed in their homes.
However, following the terror attack, Israel retaliated with a large-scale military offensive in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas infrastructure and vowed to eliminate the entire terror group.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has attacked over 11,000 Hamas targets since its ground operation, Jerusalem Post reported.
Several countries have backed Israel in the terror attack by Hamas. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly posted a clip of Hamad's interview on X, showing support for Israel, and said, "How can there be peace when Hamas are committed to the eradication of Israel? This is an official from Hamas committing to repeat the atrocities from 07/10 again and again."
Meanwhile, US presidential candidate Nikki Haley said, "Believe terrorists when they tell you who they are. This is why there should be no ceasefire until Hamas is destroyed." (ANI)