Israel on a war to wipe out Hamas, says consul-general

Israel is stepping up its offensive against Hamas with revived intent to eliminate the militant organisation and leave no room for it to regroup, Tammy Ben-Haim, Consul General of Israel to south India said here on Wednesday.

Speaking with DH, the diplomat outlined Israel’s priorities amid its sustained, fierce retaliation to Hamas’ October 7 strike – securing the country and its people, freeing dozens held hostage in the Gaza Strip, and the “devastation” of Hamas.

“For years, we have been dealing with this internationally recognised terror organisation. We have always retaliated and protected ourselves, to an extent, but now we are taking out all the targets, all their infrastructure. We want to get to the point where Hamas is devastated,” she said.

Ben-Haim noted that the war is on Hamas – “not on the population, not on Gaza” – and detailed the incursions, killings and violence unleashed in Israel during the latest conflict. The Israeli response has been decisive, with attacks on Hamas command posts and arms units on the Gaza Strip.

Responding to questions on the deepening humanitarian crisis in blockaded Gaza, the consul-general noted that Hamas – governing over two million people since 2007 – did not take care of its “own people” and instead, built its infrastructure of terror. “If anybody has a question on this, you know whom to ask,” she said.

There is no reason for projects envisioned under international partnerships like the India-Israel-UAE-US (I2U2) grouping to be impacted by the ongoing conflict. Ben-Haim underlined international support Israel received following the Hamas attack, including from India, and said the war should not deter the international community from collaborative projects in critical areas like food security and space.

The condition of the only Indian reported injured amid the conflict – a woman caregiver from Kerala – is stable. Ben-Haim said students and caregivers constituted a major share of the “few thousands” of Indians in Israel. A few hundreds of Indians and other nationals have left but many have decided to stay.

“The phones are working, the internet is working. People who approached us initially have managed to contact their friends and loved ones,” she said.