Mousa Abu Marzouq, Deputy Head of Hamas' political office, revealed to Sputnik that the United States has taken charge of military operations against the Gaza Strip.
“The Americans are in charge of the military operations at the moment. After the collapse of the Israeli military in the confrontation with the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades [the military wing of Hamas], the Americans took control of the hostilities,” Abu Marzouq said.
This assertion follows what he described as the "collapse" of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) early in the conflict.
He pointed to the deployment of two U.S. aircraft carriers and the involvement of troops from several Western countries as evidence of American leadership. Abu Marzouq suggested that this move is an attempt to prevent the conflict from going global.
Voting in UN Shows No Support for Idea of Coalition Against Hamas
In response to the recent proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron to create an international coalition against Hamas, Abu Marzouq highlighted the lack of support for such an idea at the United Nations.
He said, "the whole world supports Hamas and stands against the United States." This statement follows the General Assembly vote that showed strong support for Palestine, indicating global sentiment against an anti-Hamas coalition.
Hamas Ready to Release Civilians But Unable to Do This Due to Attacks
Abu Marzouq expressed Hamas's readiness to release civilian hostages but attributed the inability to do so to ongoing Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip. He emphasized the dire conditions on the ground, with extensive bombing, casualties, and destruction.
Abu Marzouq clarified that the movement did not intend to hold civilian hostages from the start of the conflict and had proposed their return to Israel under specific conditions, a proposal Israel had reportedly rejected.