MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. It is important to understand that the Hamas movement is not under the control of the Palestinian authorities, Aliya Zaripova, a spokeswoman for the Russian diplomatic mission in Palestine, told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
"Hamas is not controlled by the Palestinian authorities; it's very important to distinguish between the two," she said.
"Hamas has been controlling the Gaza Strip since 2007. In the West Bank, power de facto belongs to the Fatah movement, which is represented by the majority of the Palestinian leadership," the diplomat pointed out. "The two forces in Palestine have long-standing differences, including over Israel. In this respect, Fatah's position can be described as slightly less radical."
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.
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. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the call-up of IDF reservists and ordered that "a special security situation" be imposed nationwide. According to the latest data, some 500 Palestinians have been killed since this newest outbreak of violence, while over 2,700 sustained wounds. In Israel, more than 700 people have lost their lives and over 2,200 have been wounded.