DUBAI, November 1. /TASS/. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the politburo of the Palestinian radical Hamas movement, has pointed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as one of the reasons for another round of escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"One of the most important causes of this war is Netanyahu, who heads a right-wing, racist and fascist group, his thoughts focused entirely on how to save himself and his family from imprisonment and avoid responsibility, even at the costs of destroying the entire region," he said in a message on Hamas' Telegram channel.
Haniyeh also noted that the movement was fighting against neo-fascists.
"This is a momentous battle between those who believe in tolerance, peace and civilized coexistence, and the neo-Nazis backed by colonial powers who trample all values for the sake of their interests and bloodthirsty mentality," he said.
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, with mass killings of civilians in border communities and the taking of hundreds of hostages, including children, women and elderly people. 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. On October 27, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the "expansion of the scale" of the ground military operation in Gaza.