GAZA CITY: Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar said on Monday the Palestinian resistance group had ample resources to sustain its resistance movement against Israeli brutalities, with support from regional allies, nearly a year into the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza.
Sinwar, who last month replaced slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said in a letter to the Palestinian group’s Yemeni allies that “we have prepared ourselves to fight a long battle of attrition”. He emphasized that Hamas has sufficient resources and support from regional allies to engage in a “long battle of attrition.”
The latest hostilities saw Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killing at least two dozen people, as confirmed by medics and rescuers. These strikes, targeting various locations including the Nuseirat refugee camp and Gaza City’s Zeitun neighborhood, have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in the territory.
In central Gaza, survivors scoured debris Monday after a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 41,226 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry reported on Monday.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant expressed growing concerns about the possibility of a wider regional conflict. He warned that prospects for halting the fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon are diminishing, a statement that raises fears of further escalation in the region.
Gallant’s comments came amid ongoing cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in near-daily cross-border clashes since October 7. The violence has resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with 624 people reported dead in Lebanon, and at least 50 people killed in Israel.
Sinwar’s letter to Yemen’s Houthis highlighted the Palestinian group’s intention to “break the will of Israel” through continued resistance. The Houthis, who have launched missile attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, claimed responsibility for a recent strike on central Israel.
The conflict has also drawn in other regional actors. In response to the escalating violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering a reshuffle in his government, including the potential dismissal of Defence Minister Gallant. However, the Prime Minister’s office has denied these reports.
Meanwhile, independent UN rights experts have warned that Israel’s actions in Gaza could risk its standing as an international “pariah,” calling on Western countries to hold Israel accountable for its conduct.
