IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Sunday published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal in which he explained that Israel’s mission in the Gaza war is “to dismantle Hamas and bring our hostages home”.
Noting Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields in Gaza, Hagari wrote, “For the past 16 years, Hamas has systematically embedded its terror infrastructure inside and under civilian areas in Gaza as part of its human-shield strategy. IDF troops discovered that most homes in Gaza have terror tunnels underneath or weapon caches inside, and the majority of schools, mosques, hospitals and international institutions have been used by Hamas for their military operations.”
“By embedding itself among civilians, Hamas conceals itself from the cameras covering the conflict. By instructing terrorists to dress in civilian clothes, Hamas camouflages its terrorists as innocents. By waging war from inside and underneath hospitals, Hamas hopes that international law and public sympathy will provide a shield for their military activities,” Hagari wrote.
He explained how the IDF operates in the exact opposite manner as Hamas, noting it “conducts its operations with caution, transparency and in accordance with international law. Hamas wants the world to believe that the IDF is at war with all of Gaza. In reality, our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza, which is why we take extensive measures to minimize harm to the civilians Hamas puts in the crossfire. We are fighting this war with a heavy heart, aware of the tragic loss of civilian lives on both sides.”
“Our mission is to dismantle Hamas and bring our hostages home—not to destroy Gaza or displace its people,” wrote the IDF Spokesperson and stressed the IDF “will continue fulfilling this mission while upholding our values and exposing the true face of Hamas to the world.”