As Israel gets ready to launch a ground invasion on the Palestinian enclave, Washington has sent troops all around the Middle East.
A prominent Hamas figure has stated that the Palestinian terrorist organisation was taken aback by the US response to the recent violence in Gaza, speculating that the US would join the conflict after dispatching thousands of soldiers and two aircraft carriers to the area.
Hamas’s political leadership member in Lebanon, Ali Barakeh, stated in an interview with the Financial Times that was published on Friday that the organisation “didn’t expect this much of a response” from the US.
An answer from Israel? Yes, that is what we anticipated,” he added. “However, we weren’t prepared for the US to enter the conflict as we are now witnessing.”
Since Hamas’ devastating attack on Israel on October 7, Washington has made significant military displays in the Middle East, sending two aircraft carrier strike groups and an amphibious assault ship with 2,000 sailors and marines to the Mediterranean. According to US officials, the actions were taken to discourage foreign parties from intervening in the Gaza conflict.
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran and “affiliated” forces are suspected of using the two eastern Syrian installations that the Pentagon said it attacked on Thursday. The Pentagon said the action was carried out in “self-defense” in response to a series of rocket attacks on US troops. Officials emphasised that the mission was “separate and distinct” from the confrontations with Hamas, despite the fact that it demonstrated the US military’s increasing involvement in the region.
In retaliation for Hamas’ attack earlier this month, which resulted in the death of about 1,400 people, Israeli officials allege that the Israel Defence Forces have bombarded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Since then, the IDF has reportedly bombed more than 7,000 Palestinian targets, and Israel is currently preparing a large-scale combat assault aimed at eliminating Hamas.
Barakeh continued by saying that the terrorist force consisted of at least 40,000 men, the majority of whom were stationed in vast tunnel networks beneath Gaza. He continued, saying, “We have been ready for a ground offensive,” adding that months’ worth of supplies were kept in storage in the underground facility.
