Mashaal: Hamas tunnels were defensive in nature, Israel imposed war on Gaza

[bemildred]

In a wide-ranging interview with Vanity Fair magazine, the Hamas leader said Mohammed Deif was still alive.

In a wide-ranging interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Hamas’s political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal denied Israeli claims that the network of underground tunnels built by the Islamist organization ruling the Gaza Strip were designed to launch attacks against civilian towns near the Israel-Gaza border.

According to the American publication, Mashaal accused the Israeli government of using the tunnels as a pretext to launch a ground incursion into Gaza.

“Please note when we used these tunnels,” Mashaal told Vanity Fair. “We used them when Israel waged war against us. So the tunnels may have been outwardly called offensive tunnels, but in actual fact, they are defensive ones. If those were offensive tunnels, Hamas would have used them before the war. But, when Israel carried out its aggression against us, we used the tunnels to infiltrate behind the back lines of the Israeli army, which is waging war on Gaza.”

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“Mohammed Deif is alive,” he said. “Israelis failed to kill him. But they succeeded in killing his wife and his two children. Mohammed Deif is still alive, and will continue to fight the Israeli aggression and occupation. Inshallah.”

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Mashaal-Hamas-tunnels-were-defensive-in-nature-Israel-imposed-war-on-Gaza-379607

[Turbineguy]

1. And then

he used his eye to punch me in the fist.

[oberliner]

2. Good thing Vanity Fair readers are not gullible idiots

Those who scoff at the obvious propaganda often spouted by Israeli government representatives ought to be at least as dismissive of this BS from the Hamas leadership.

[Scootaloo]

6. Does that mean those who eat israeli propaganda with a spoon should suck this down too?

[oberliner]

7. Folks tend to only like the propaganda that supports their POV

Only eating from their own bowl to use your analogy.

[bemildred]

8. Not me, the only stuff I like is objective reporting.

[oberliner]

11. Except that one time you posted Khalid Amayreh

I still don't get why you did that.

[bemildred]

13. You'll never know. nt

[Jefferson23]

3. This is the first I've read in awhile that they're still claiming Deif is alive..interesting. Thanks

[bemildred]

4. Yes. nt

[FBaggins]

5. Was that supposed to make sense?

Tunnels into enemy territory are defensive?

[bemildred]

9. Sure, what if you need to counter-attack? Break out of encirclement?

Tunnels are perfect for that. Once the war starts, you don't have time to dig tunnels, so you have to think of all the contingencies and prepare ahead of time.

[hack89]

10. What if the plan was to use them to start a war?

A massive suprise attack on an Israeli town to inflict a large number of casualties and somehow break the military stalemate is a more likely use of the tunnels. Hamas wants and needs a big victory - the blockade keeps them militarily weak and the tunnels were an act of desperation more than anything else.

[bemildred]

12. Indeed, what if? nt

[hack89]

14. Then preemptively destroying them is a sound military policy.

That's all.

[bemildred]

15. Yes, it's so tacky to criticize anyway, I'm sure this is all for the best. nt