Israeli leaders enabled October 7th attack with support for Hamas, official report says
The Israeli government enabled the October 7th massacre on its citizens by ensuring Hamas remained well-funded despite claiming to be at war with the terror group, according to a report last week from the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency.
Israel's leaders have been accused of helping finance Hamas after it was created as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement in the 1980s, ostensibly as controlled religious opposition to Yassir Arafat’s secular Marxist Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 2005, the Israeli government expelled Gaza’s 8,000 Jewish residents and withdrew from the strip, knowing it would likely become an operating ground for Hamas to build a government and military. That happened in 2007 when Hamas took over Gaza and installed itself as the ruling faction after "winning" an election run by the PLO (which may have been rigged to create a good cop-bad cop choice for Israelis). Since then, Israel has protected Hamas financially, both via Qatar and “humanitarian aid.” In 2020, when Qatar wanted to discontinue financing to Hamas, then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen flew to Doha and convinced Qatari officials to maintain payments to the terror group.
The Shin Bet confirmed in its report that this financing enabled Hamas to carry out its attack brutally murdering over 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children and taking 240 hostage, according to the Jerusalem Post. The agency oddly maintains that Qatar was funding Hamas via two revenue streams—one that supposedly went to Gazans and was sent with Israel’s blessing, and one that went directly to Hamas and circumvented Israeli authorities. Observers are challenging this claim, however, questioning how any funding could be dispersed to Gazans without Hamas’ assistance. Even the “humanitarian aid” Israel has sent into Gaza since Hamas took power goes to the terror organization or frees up other funds for Hamas to use for weaponry, according to the Shin Bet.
The aid Hamas has been receiving—with Israel’s approval—not only enabled the October 7th invasion but has also prolonged the war by sustaining Hamas, insiders say. Rafael Hayon, an Israeli operative who monitors Hamas communications, recently said that Hamas was prepared to surrender earlier in the war until they suddenly received a major influx of food, water, and fuel. Estimates say Hamas currently has enough supplies to last another six months.
Trump losing patience with Israel’s weak stance
Israel’s massive concessions to Hamas since October 7th—which directly place Israeli civilians in mortal peril—has shocked President Trump. The president gave Israel carte blanche to destroy Hamas last month when he issued the terror group an ultimatum to release every Israeli hostage by 12:00 PM on Saturday the 15th or “all hell is going to break out.” But the Netanyahu administration undermined Trump’s tough stance and opted instead to negotiate lopsided prisoner swaps.
In the Oval Office, Trump distanced himself from Israel’s surprising approach by diplomatically telling reporters that he would have dealt with Hamas “differently” than Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
“I said it from that point [of my ultimatum], it's up to Bibi Netanyahu and Israel,” the president said. “I may have taken a different stance. I said well if they're not going to release any there'll be hell to pay. But the rest is really up to him. I might have done it differently than [Netanyahu]. It’s not my decision, it’s his decision.”
Trump than made an even stronger threat against Hamas, writing, "‘Shalom, Hamas’ means hello and goodbye—you can choose. Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return the bodies of those you murdered, or it is OVER for you."
But the Trump administration appears to be losing patience with Israeli authorities, having recently begun talks with Hamas directly. US Special Envoy on Hostages Adam Boehler has said the talks have been “helpful.”
Boehler added that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron "Dermer runs a country with Bibi that is on its own, where they are exchanging massive amounts of hostages for one person. And I will say, it’s a lot of hostages. We wouldn’t do that deal in the United States."
Trump, for his part, stated, that, "Somebody's going to have to get a lot rougher" with Hamas, in an apparent reference to Netanyahu's accomodating stance towards Hamas.
