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On October 24, 2023, a Syria-based jihadi Telegram channel published a commentary discussing the October 7 Hamas surprise attack on Israel. The article noted the lack of post-operation plans by the Palestinian factions and criticized Hamas's dependence on an Iranian-backed militia coalition as a "catastrophic mistake."[1]
Lack Of Post-Operation Plans
According to the channel, the aftermath of the Hamas attack and the subsequent Israeli response raise a series of questions about the existence of a military plan to capitalize on the outcome of "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood."
"Is there any reason why the factions in Gaza have not carried out any military action or commando-style operation within the enemy's homeland after all this bombing, destruction, death of thousands of innocent citizens, and the betrayal of the [Islamic] ummah?... Where are martyrdom-seekers, where are the military plans, where is the equipment? Is it reasonable that there is no enemy weakness to break through?" it asked.
According to the channel, many Palestinian rockets are intercepted by the Iron Dome but bring no actual, tangible results other than leading Israel towards committing "further crimes."
"Mistaken" To Believe Iran Or Hizbullah Would Support Gaza
The channel chastised Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) for wrongly believing that Iran and Lebanese Hizbullah would make any move to support them, noting that if Hamas and others do offer support, "then they really are mistaken and captivated" by Iran and its Shi'ite weaponry in the region.
The article further questioned the truth of the stated threats and "surprises in store" for Israel. Meanwhile, Israel, the piece argued, continues to bomb hospitals and mosques, kill innocent people, and even cut off the flow of electricity, water, food, and sanitary supplies.
"You Made A Grave And Fatal Mistake"
According to the channel, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was a "blessed" attack that made Israel a "laughingstock" among peoples of the world. Yet, on the other hand, Israel's retaliatory actions turned Gaza into a "ground for extermination and total annihilation."
The article continued, claiming that Hamas and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip failed to set up plans to exploit the consequences of the operation on the human, economic, social, military, and security levels, arguing that relying on Iran and the Iran-backed militias led the Gaza Strip towards "annihilation."
"You [wrongly] assumed that the Arab and Western leaders and peoples would support you while you rely on those [Iran and Iran-backed militias] to support you... You have made a grave and fatal mistake," the article declared.
The "disastrous mistake" was not the "blessed operation" itself but rather Hamas's reliance on the Iran-led Shi'ite coalition and the "traitorous" Arab leaders, which Hamas’s leader, Ismael Haniyeh, and his 'squad' promised you," it added.
A Call To Syrian Factions To Take The Initiative: Iran And Hizbullah Offered Gaza On A "Silver Platter" To Israel And The U.S. In Return For Idlib
Projecting Hamas's mistake onto the Syrian arena, the channel suggested that the jihadi and rebel factions in northern Syria must learn a lesson and take the initiative, and open fronts and liberate the land from the "filth" of Russia, the Syrian regime, and Iran's weapons in the region.
The article wrote that it feared the consequences of inaction "will be dire and catastrophic," given what Iran and Hizbullah offered to Israel, the U.S., and the Europeans on a silver platter." The commentary argued that the Gaza Strip "was offered in return for Idlib" and that the jihadi factions in Idlib, just like the ones in Gaza, are Dawa'ish (i.e., Islamic State, or ISIS) and terrorists.
[1] Telegram, October 24, 2023.
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