Hamas apologized for the first time to Gazans for the suffering caused by the war, in a long statement published Sunday evening on its Telegram channel. The Palestinian Islamist movement
“apologizes”
for the difficulties caused by the war against the Israeli army which has lasted for almost six months. But he also reiterates his desire to continue this war, which, according to him, must make it possible to achieve
“victory and freedom”
for the Palestinians. He sent
“a message of thanks to the people”
of the Gaza Strip whose
“exhaustion”
he recognizes .
The movement insisted on the measures it said it had tried to put in place to alleviate the difficulties, including attempts at “
price control
” within the limits of its capabilities
“given the ongoing aggression”
. Hamas also claimed to communicate with
“all components”
of Gazan society, mentioning other armed movements,
“popular committees”
and
“families”
in order to
“resolve the problems caused by the occupation”
.
Immense humanitarian needs
Humanitarian needs are immense in this territory already undermined before the war by an Israeli blockade imposed since 2006, poverty and unemployment. Aid is trickling in, and most of the population has been displaced to the southernmost part, around Rafah, near the closed Egyptian border. This city, which had fewer than 300,000 inhabitants before the war, is now home to more than a million, according to UN estimates. In recent months, various Hamas figures, such as Khaled Mechaal, former head of the Hamas political bureau, had estimated that
“sacrifices”
were necessary for
the “liberation”
of the Palestinians.
The war killed 1,160 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data. According to Israel, around 250 people were also kidnapped and 130 of them are still hostages in Gaza, 34 of whom died. On the Palestinian side, 32,782 people died, according to a latest report Friday from the Hamas Ministry of Health.