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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

What did Hamas think they would achieve through October 7?

178 replies

CroccyWoccy · 14/12/2023 09:17

I don’t normally post in this section so please forgive the potentially naive or badly phrased question (I don’t like the word ‘achieve’ but struggling to think of a better one.

Without wanting to get into whether any particular actions are justified or proportionate, it seems that it was entirely foreseeable that an attack such as the one that took place on Oct 7 would trigger an Israeli response on the scale we have seen.

With that in mind, I cannot understand Hamas’s motivation for planning such an attack, given the outcome of death and destruction with Gaza was inevitable? Or by trying to attribute some kind of rational strategy of cause and effect to Hamas, am I completely misunderstanding how they operate?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Thereissomelight · 14/12/2023 14:54

Has anyone actually asked an official
Hamas spokesman about Oct 7? Surely that’s the place to start establishing the thinking behind it.

highlowinbetween · 14/12/2023 15:09

Israel has admitted that the number of people killed on Oct 7th was embellished

Israel has admitted some of those dead were killed by Israeli forces

A witness who claimed 27 of their friends were killed has admitted to not even being at the events.

braticus · 14/12/2023 15:14

It also speaks volumes that Israel is refusing to allow an independent investigation into what happened on October 7th. What are they hiding?

Parkingt111 · 14/12/2023 15:16

Echobelly · 14/12/2023 13:06

I'm Jewish, and that morning initially all I heard was 400-500 Israeli dead and assumed it was 'just' rocket attacks or something, and even just then my first thought was 'Oh my God, Netanyahu's response is going to be truly appalling'

I am not Jewish but I had similar thoughts. At first it wasn't clear exactly what had happened but even then I knew the response was going to be brutal. The next day or so when it finally came to light what had happened i knew then it was likely that Gaza was going to be bombed like never before but even then I am still shocked by what I am seeing
It's like Hamas set a trap and Netanyahu has blindly walked right into it.
It has been truly horrific to see

Echobelly · 14/12/2023 15:20

That's part of what makes me so angry. People say 'Well what would you have Israel do, then?' And I'd say, I'd want Israel to at least stop, think 'What are Hamas trying to get us to do?' and thinking of a way not to do that!

3FatBeagles · 14/12/2023 15:23

I think the outcome and everything that is currently happening was exactly what they intended to achieve.

Parkingt111 · 14/12/2023 15:25

@Echobelly i think the western leaders generally were for it at the start, maybe with the thinking that let Israel take out Hamas as brutal as it will be and then we can sit down and sort a two state solution out once and for all.

Except it hasn't gone anything like that at all if that was the thought process.

Coyoacan · 14/12/2023 15:25

They achieved what their paymasters, Israel and Netanyahu, wanted them achieve. It was so obvious that the Israelis would use that attack as an excuse to get rid of the Palestinians

floodlightonwhatisright · 14/12/2023 15:29

Thread derailed again.

Noicant · 14/12/2023 15:38

CroccyWoccy · 14/12/2023 12:24

To answer your question OP, I think Hamas were trying to destroy any chance of a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Israel. That is why they publicly glorified their utterly hideous, nightmare-ish cruelty and torture and sexual torture. And why they targeted the peace supporting communities in Israel. They don't want anyone to support a peaceful resolution anymore.

To what end though? Do they care if Gaza is completely destroyed in the process?

No

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg4VqiW0dyo&pp=ygULTWVtcmkgbW91c2E%3D

I sincerely hope thats a mistranslation because otherwise theres little hope for the future of Gazans

Hamas Official Mousa Abu Marzouk: Gaza Tunnels Were Built to Protect Hamas Fighters, Not Civilians

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau said in an October 27, 2023 interview that aired on Russia Today TV that the tunnels in Gaza were b...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg4VqiW0dyo&pp=ygULTWVtcmkgbW91c2E%3D

Nelsonmandelaforever · 14/12/2023 15:52

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 09:28

Gaza has been out of the news and replaced with Ukraine who are now getting money and attention. They thought they would bring the ire of Israel who would then attack Gaza and then the leaders (sitting in their mansions in Qatar) could advertise what a terrible life Gazan's have and they need more money that they can then siphon off and not give to their people.

And to disrupt the peace treaty between Saudi Arabia and Israel

Two birds really

Above post lacks any factual basis. United Nations General Secretary accused of antisemitism beacuse of what he said"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said.

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 15:58

Nelsonmandelaforever · 14/12/2023 15:52

Above post lacks any factual basis. United Nations General Secretary accused of antisemitism beacuse of what he said"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said.

Show quote history

Not claiming this as fact. none of the answers are FACT because no one had gone and asked Hamas why they did it. It's my theory. like every other theory.

My other opinion is that the UN has NEVER condemned anything Hamas has done. It took them nearly 3 weeks to mention anything about October 7th attack and even then it was "it was very sad in Israel but the poor Palestinians are suffering". they constantly condemn Israel more than any other country in the world including north Korea, China, Russia etc who also commit terrible atrocities. They are basically saying that there should be no sympathy for the victims of october 7th cos they brought it on themselves

stomachameleon · 14/12/2023 16:09

@Bells3032 constant condemnation. No wonder Israel don't take them seriously.

What did Hamas think they would achieve through October 7?
Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 16:45

@stomachameleon sorry it's a bit blurry but i am assuming its resolutions against israel v other countries

Arghcantthinkofaname · 14/12/2023 16:45

This is a very informative thread, and thanks to the OP as I had also been baffled by the same.

JustMaggie · 14/12/2023 16:48

What did Hamas hope to achieve on Oct 7th? In a word: recruitment. Thanks to the heavy handed Israeli response many more people support them.

Nelsonmandelaforever · 14/12/2023 16:49

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 15:58

Not claiming this as fact. none of the answers are FACT because no one had gone and asked Hamas why they did it. It's my theory. like every other theory.

My other opinion is that the UN has NEVER condemned anything Hamas has done. It took them nearly 3 weeks to mention anything about October 7th attack and even then it was "it was very sad in Israel but the poor Palestinians are suffering". they constantly condemn Israel more than any other country in the world including north Korea, China, Russia etc who also commit terrible atrocities. They are basically saying that there should be no sympathy for the victims of october 7th cos they brought it on themselves

Show quote history

No one is saying oct 7th victims brought it upon themselves. Those poor Israeli civilans and palestinians have been tragically caught up in this conflict and atrocities commited by both israel and Hamas.

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 16:56

@Nelsonmandelaforever

This was the FIRST statement by the UN since 7th October on the issue. it is very much in the words of "hamas did a bad thing but Israel is being bad". There was NO statement at all following the actions of Hamas on October 7th.

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on the Middle East [as delivered] | United Nations Secretary-General

It has three lines on the attacks in Israel inc October 7th and the rockets and over 30 on Gaza.

It says "these attacks are bad...but they happened because of Israel's actions" that's exactly what it says!

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on the Middle East [as delivered] | United Nations Secretary-General

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-the-middle-east-delivered

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 16:57

oh and let's add that weapons and Hamas terrorists have been found hiding in UN schools and hospitals. and one of the hostages was even kept in a UN workers HOUSE.

TakeMe2Insanity · 14/12/2023 16:59

Thereissomelight · 14/12/2023 09:42

Well, if so, it worked. Now we CAN all see what a terrible life the Gazans have been leading and what monstrous neighbours they have.

This.

Re human shields, the IDF has repeatedly been found guilty/told not to use CHILDREN as human shields on the front of tanks/when walking etc.

SomeCatFromJapan · 14/12/2023 17:12

Israel are using Hamas as an excuse to obliterate ALL Palestinians so they can steal their land and and settle their people in it.

If they were, they could do so solely via airstrikes and certainly not risk IDF lives as they are doing with the current ground invasion.

Nelsonmandelaforever · 14/12/2023 17:26

Bells3032 · 14/12/2023 16:57

oh and let's add that weapons and Hamas terrorists have been found hiding in UN schools and hospitals. and one of the hostages was even kept in a UN workers HOUSE.

No one who fights oppression/ resistance places their weapons in open sight of the enemy. Plus there is no international neutral media allowed in Gaza and I take everything with a pinch of salt what Israel says as there is no transparency . The world is losing sympathy for Israel due to indiscriminate killings of civilians. Ofcourse I feel for israeli hostages still held by hamas, but the killings of palestinian civilians is just collective punishment and an act of revenge.

MushMonster · 14/12/2023 17:50

Kill a hell lot of people, on both sides of the border (well, actually, more on their "own" side, as it is so heavily populated).
Desestabilize the area, infurate everyone, waste resources and general trouble making, for a long long long term.
They could spend their time building bridges with the neighbours, sorting infraestructure in the area, moving forward towards peace. But that is not in their agenda.

Bigminnie1 · 14/12/2023 17:54

@TakeMe2Insanity what lies are you spreading now? The IDF have never used children as human shields.