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Some mistakes by Israel partly to blame for Hamas attack — ambassador to Moscow

Alexander Ben Zvi added that all Israeli forces were now focused on removing the Hamas threat from the agenda

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Israel's ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, has admitted that the Hamas attack was made possible to an extent by some mistakes his country had made.

"No doubt, there was some mistake there. It's necessary to say outright that there was something like that involved. I'm sure that when this is all over, a special inquiry will investigate what really happened," the ambassador said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel in reply to a related question.

Ben Zvi added that all Israeli forces were now focused on removing the Hamas threat from the agenda.

"That is, first, we are to ensure that there are no more terrorists on our territory. Secondly, as I said, we are to wipe out the entire Hamas infrastructure. How long [it will take] is anyone’s guess. Any means that should be used will be used," he stressed.

Israel came under missile attack from the Gaza Strip on the morning of October 7. Simultaneously, several groups of Palestinian militants from the Hamas movement infiltrated the Jewish state, engaging in fighting with Israeli forces. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared a state of readiness for war and launched retaliatory actions dubbed Operation Iron Swords.

Hamas Politburo Head Ismail Haniyeh described the Palestinian operation as a response to aggressive actions by the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was at war and would win victory. He vowed that Hamas would pay an unprecedented price for the attack.