The war Israel is currently waging is just, it must be the last war, if not many more will die in Israel and Gaza and Hamas must be wiped out, Israeli Ambassador Oren Anolik said Tuesday before the of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament in relation to the current situation and developments in Israel.
In the briefing that lasted more than an hour, Mr. Anolik spoke of a national trauma that has scarred his country, due to the attack of October 7 and the fulfillment of what he said was their worst nightmare. The Ambassador handed the Chairman of the committee videos and photographs of the atrocities committed by Hamas, warning that "these are very harsh images".
"We are in a war that we are forced (to be in) and not chosen by us. We are fighting for our existence, this is war and we are fighting Hamas, it is the apparatus that controls Gaza, we are not fighting civilians. If we don't eliminate Hamas, there will be no future," he said.
Mr Anolik referred to videos that had come to light in which he said Hamas photographed itself with the corpses of victims, which it sends to relatives and is heard saying "Look mother, I have killed Jews with my bare hands".
He spoke of raw brutalities and atrocities by Hamas stating that "we have to eliminate Hamas which is the de facto ruler (in Gaza), and if we don't eliminate it, there is no future." The Ambassador said his country was doing everything possible to minimize harm to the civilian population but said that unfortunately there is no war without casualties. He also said that the civilian population has been notified to go to a safer place but explained that Israel will never say that X is the safest place because that will become a target for terrorists.
Mr. Anolik also stated that his country conducts airstrikes on military targets, following the rule of proportionality.
He also said that the world should know what happened on the ground since the 1990s and that the Palestinians won the West Bank through negotiations.
"Hamas does not promote the rights of the Palestinians but the war against Israel. Hamas wants an Islamic Palestinian state and does not want negotiations with Israel. Palestinians have been murdered and tortured since they gained control of Gaza. They are not interested in dialogue but want to eliminate Israel. Therefore, those who believe in peace will understand what Israel is doing. They (Hamas) do not share the global ideas of peace and harmony and coexistence or compromise, they want (to implement) Sharia law worldwide if possible,” he said.
In relation to humanitarian aid, he said that Israel allows food, water and medicine to pass into Gaza. He said that before the war his country supplied the area with electricity, but after October 7, Hamas destroyed the cables on purpose, he said.
The Ambassador of Israel, responding to MPs' questions, said that it is clear that the enemy is the terrorist organization and the goal is to minimize civilian casualties. He said Hamas wanted to sabotage progress in normalizing Israel's relations with its neighbors and called on MPs to talk to ordinary Palestinians and ask them what they want. "They understand what they are dealing with, they don't want extremists. That's my assessment," he said.
He said Israel's target is Hamas and wondered why there are no calls for Hamas to surrender. At another point in his remarks he said that there are changes in Israel's policies over the years but the consensus is for peace.
Mr. Anolik, responding to the siege of Gaza, said that there is no siege, adding that "Gaza has a border with Egypt" and wondered why they don't let the Palestinians go to Egypt.
“It is not my responsibility to feed my enemies. Do you want us to open the borders and let the enemy into Israel? Are our enemies so pro-peace?” he asked.
Moreover, in statements after the meeting, the Ambassador thanked the Cypriot Government for its stance and its strong condemnation of the Hamas attack, as well as the recognition of Israel's right to defend itself. He spoke of an emotional meeting and said that it is difficult for him when his country faces this evil.
He reiterated that his country is at war to confront Hamas and will not stop until it succeeds.
Locations of MPs
All MPs condemned the attack by Hamas and the death of innocent civilians, however there were different assessments and readings of the situation regarding Israel's responsibilities, its policy for a Palestinian state, its behavior in Gaza and the West Bank and the establishment settlements.
The Chairman of the Commission, Haris Georgiadis, referred to the situation as it is created in Israel's relations with the Arab states after the attack of October 7 and raised the question of how long Israel's operation will last and under what conditions it will end it.
Moreover, in statements made after the meeting of the committee, Mr. Georgiadis said that there is no one who does not have anxiety about what is happening and the appeal is to limit the loss of civilians.
Averof Neofytou of DISY said that there is condemnation of the attack by Hamas which is a terrorist organization and that Israel has the right to defend itself and the right to self-defense.
Giorgos Loukaidis of AKEL expressed full solidarity with the relatives of the victims of the terrorist attacks by Hamas. He added that since we too are victims of invasion and occupation and violation of rights, we should feel the same when a crime is committed in any corner of the world, without hypocrisy, lies and tactics.
He said the state of Israel has been violating the law, committing "war crimes" against the Palestinian people, illegally occupying Palestinian lands and violating Palestinian rights for decades.
He demanded to know if Israel's choices to date have helped the country and its citizens, and wondered if Hamas has come back stronger. Moreover, in statements after the meeting, he said that AKEL supports the immediate ceasefire and unhindered aid to Gaza and asked the Ambassador to respect the UN's appeals and to give a chance to peace that will serve the region in general.
AKEL's Marina Nikolaou said that she visited Hebron and has an assessment of the situation saying that Israel is violating Palestinian rights. From the same party, Giorgos Koukoumas asked for Israel's position on the two-state solution and wondered if he would persist in his positions against the UN Secretary General.
Chrysis Pantelidis of DIKO expressed his disgust at the October 7 attack and said that Hamas is a terrorist, paranoid organization that must be fought.
Christos Christoutou ELAM said that if an end is not given to Hamas, the region will never be able to have security and peace.
Independent MP Alexandra Attalidou said that Israel has the right to protect itself and at the same time the Palestinians have the right to have a state and a democratic leadership.
Source: KYPE