European Parliament Urges Elimination Of Hamas As Israel Unfolds Strategy
By Worthy News’ George Whitten and Stefan J. Bos
BRUSSELS/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The European Union’s legislature says the “Hamas terror group” must be “eliminated” while Israel’s defense minister unfolds a plan for how to make that a reality.
The European Parliament “condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the despicable terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel,” it said in a non-binding resolution passed 500-21.
It also “expresses its support for the State of Israel and its people [and] reiterates that the terrorist organization Hamas needs to be eliminated.”
Thursday’s resolution marks a scathing rebuke of Hamas’ devastating onslaught on southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,400 people ranging from Holocaust survivors to even toddlers and babies.
The Hamas attack, which saw at least 1,500 fighters burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air, and sea, also involved seizing over 200 hostages under the cover of thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns and cities.
The European Parliament’s resolution came ahead of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant laying out Israel’s objectives in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He said after the “terror group has been destroyed,” there will be a new “security reality” in the territory.
DESTROYING HAMAS
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset (or parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in Tel Aviv, Gallant said the war’s objectives include “eliminating Hamas” by destroying its military and “governmental capabilities.”
Additionally, an ultimate aim is to remove any responsibility Israel has over Gaza by creating a new “security regime” in the Strip. Gallant told the committee members that the war will have three main phases.
“We are in the first phase, in which a military campaign is taking place with [airstrikes] and later with a [ground] maneuver with the purpose of destroying operatives and damaging infrastructure to defeat and destroy Hamas,” Gallant explained.
He added that the second phase will be continued fighting but at a lower intensity as troops work to “eliminate pockets of resistance.”
“The third step will be the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel’s responsibility for day-to-day life in the Gaza Strip, and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel and the residents of the [area surrounding Gaza],” he said.
Recent days have seen growing pressure on the government to devise a clear strategy for how it plans to avoid getting bogged down in a lengthy reoccupation of the Strip.
REMOVING THREAT
Yet the government has also been asked to ensure the Palestinian enclave is no longer managed by Hamas and no longer poses a threat.
The defense minister’s comments suggested that while Israel will be involved in a regime change, it wants to keep daily responsibilities in the hands of more moderate Palestinians.
Some 300,000 Israeli troops have been massing at the Gaza border, awaiting orders to move in.
Israel’s declared war against Hamas also impacted Europe with terror attacks in Belgium and France recently, killing three people and injuring several more, prompting EU ministers to urge member states to better screen migrants.
On Friday, at least 18 people were detained after a wave of hoax bomb threats prompted evacuations across France, authorities said.
Hamas has called for days of rage against Israel, including attacks and violent protests in several European capitals and other cities.
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