CAIRO, October 30. /TASS/. Israel’s policy of collective punishment against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will not achieve its aims, the spokesman for the Palestinian radical movement Hamas Abdel Latif al-Qanu has said.

"The killing of more than 8,000 Palestinians and the destruction of their homes by the occupier (Israel - TASS) is not a victory or achievement, but rather testify to its failure, confusion <...> and the absence of all values and morality," al-Qanu said in a statement on Hamas’ Telegram channel. The war unleashed by Israel against the Palestinians "will not achieve its goals and will only be met with greater resilience and resistance," he stressed.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and carried out air strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as some areas of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.