Alwaght- The Israeli regime remains in shock arising from the massive and meticulous Palestinian Saturday operation as it had no idea the storm that came from Gaza destroys its defenses since the early hours.
With the start of the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, Hamas movement penetrated deep into the occupied territories so quickly that it did not give the enemy a chance to make a decision, and the roaming of the resistance fighters in the streets of the Israeli settlements showed that the occupied territories, contrary to the claims of the Tel Aviv authorities, are more like a sandcastle and it seems easy to penetrate them. The killing of dozens of Israeli soldiers and the capture of dozens of Israelis signals the decline of the Israeli regime, to an extent that Israelis have lost trust in their security forces and prefer to flee to the closed airports. The Israeli weakness has created rays of hope about future Palestinian developments.
Alwaght has talked to West Asia affairs expert Hassan Hanizadeh, asking him about the aspects of the operation.
Alwaght: What evaluation did encourage Hamas to wage war on the Israeli regime?
Hanizadeh: Operation Al-Aqsa Storm is a complex, strategic and effective operation in which the element of surprise was distinct, and despite the presence of Mossad and Shin Bet spies in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian fighters managed to design this operation in recent weeks and launch it on Saturday. The foundation of the joint operation room between the Palestinian groups showed that the Israeli intelligence agencies have lost their efficacy against the Palestinians and have become obsolete institutions.
Speaking of the battleground, the firing of 5,000 rockets and mortars and about 1,500 radar-evading drones within a range of 300 kilometers at the Israeli military and economic installations have caused dire straits to Israelis and showed that the famed Iron Dome that is promoted as the symbol of the Israeli deterrence has failed to effectively engage the resistance rockets.
Another issue is that the Israeli army has called all its reserve forces within a few hours as it suffered the defeat from Hamas, and this indicates that the Israeli army is not able to manage the war in symmetrical warfare and on the battleground. Additionally, Israelis recently desecrated the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic sites. Also, Israeli regime has a hand in a recent attack on a Syrian military graduation ceremony that killed a number of Syrian officers. A combination of these developments led to Hamas and Islamic Jihad giving this devastating military response. The outcomes of this operation will change the power equation in the region in favor of relational nations, especially the Axis of Resistance.
Alwaght: As you said, the Israelis were surprised despite their spies in Gaza, constant reconnaissance flights, spy satellite updates, the and existence of various security institutions. What was the reason?
Hanizadeh: The main reason is that now the Palestinian youths have learned intelligence and protection tactics well and even identified the Israeli spies present in Gaza, and this shows that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are at a very high level in terms of tactics and intelligence. They have succeeded in confronting the Israeli army, and this is part of the puzzle of the victories brought about by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, which has now made the situation difficult for the Israeli enemy. The recall of reserve forces, as well as the closure of all airports and some economic centers in the occupied territories and the rush of thousands of Israeli to underground shelters show that the unstable situation prevails in the occupied territories.
Alwaght: Fighting against the Israeli army that is equipped with modern arms and acts violently requires similar arms. Despite the modern Israeli equipment and inequality of the warring sides, the Israeli casualties on Saturday were more than its casualties during its wars against the Arab countries. How could Hamas as a classic force manage to upgrade itself to this level of military capabilities?
Hanizadeh: The operations of the Palestinian fighters in the past three decades are a very precious experience, and due to these experiences, the Palestinian youths have reached a strong point in terms of strategy, tactics and information, and have learned the weaknesses of the Israeli regime as well, and the combination of these factors has given the battleground initiative to the resistance forces.
Alwaght: How likely is it that this operation can lead to a third intifada? Is involvement of other resistance forces, including Lebanese Hezbollah, likely?
Hanizadeh: The future developments, indeed, depend on which direction the battlefield situation will go. Now, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have the upper hand on the ground, and if the situation requires, the war will be extended from the occupied lands to other countries of the Axis of Resistance, including Lebanon, and a broad front will open against the occupiers. Since Saturday, Hezbollah forces have been on high alert in southern Lebanon, something indicating that the region is heading for a major conflict. If regional and international actors do not get involved, the conflicts will unfold and involve some Islamic countries.
Alwaght: What is the duty of Muslim countries to the Palestinians?
Hanizadeh: The Operation Al-Aqsa Storm is a new test to the Arab countries and Muslim nations. The nations of the region have provided more support to the Palestinian people than their governments and have always supported the Palestinian cause, and as the Leader of Iranian Islamic Revolution has been recently said in his speech, Arab countries should not bet on a losing horse. Therefore, this operation is a warning from the Palestinian fighters to the compromising Arabs that the so-called Abraham Accords are doomed to failure and the normalization of relations with the Israeli regime cannot grant security to the Israelis.
Alwaght: Where will the war direction go in the next days?
Hanizadeh: Naturally, the field situation changes at any moment. Now, a number of Israeli settlements, from where the radicals were organizing to attack Al-Aqsa Mosque, have been liberated by the resistance groups. This action is a message for the occupying regime to reconsider its aggressive policies against the Palestinian people in the future, otherwise, all the Israeli settlements will be targeted by resistance missiles.
Alwaght: Israeli leaders said they want to change Gaza status formally. Are they capable of this and what do they mean?
Hanizadeh: The Israeli army is preparing for a massive offensive on Gaza to occupy it once again, but this action will cost Tel Aviv a lot. The world community will not allow such an action. This action will bring forth cohesion between the Axis of Resistance and Islamic countries in favor of Palestine, and this regime will suffer serious damage. The harmful effects of this action have already emerged to the Israeli regime, and less than two days after the resistance operation, it is said that the economy of the occupied territories has been paralyzed and even the water desalination plants in Haifa have been shut down. Therefore, the Israeli regime cannot fight the resistance groups for a long time, and its army has proven that it is extremely vulnerable in asymmetric warfare.
Alwaght: What would be the affects of this operation on the Israeli-Arab normalization process?
Hanizadeh: Saudi Arabia issued a statement condemning the Israeli attacks. Even reports talk about Riyadh ending the normalization talks with Tel Aviv. This shows that Saudi Arabia has acted hastily concerning normalization. The operation will enormously affect the normalization process and push it to the sidelines.
