Israeli diplomat points out Kremlin's role in Hamas attack on Israel

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV. 

"There was direct Russian interference in the preparations for this Hamas invasion of our territory. I will explain how this all came to light. First, there are constant contacts between Hamas and Russia, and Hamas delegations travel to Moscow. Even last year, Lavrov received them in Moscow. These visits have been going on for many years. The second point is that a lot of interesting things came out of an interview with one of the senior figures in the Hamas leadership to a Russian propaganda channel. He said that Russia had authorized and given Hamas a license to build a factory in Gaza to produce Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition. We did not know this, because this plant would have been bombed a long time ago," the Israeli diplomat said.

According to him, the weapons that the terrorists brought to Israel include RPGs (hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers), Kornets (anti-tank missile systems), Arrow (man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems), Kalashnikovs, grenades, and so on. It is possible that some of these weapons came from Iran. This will be checked, because Iran also has a license to produce these weapons. But some of the weapons clearly came from Moscow, especially such weapons as cornets and so on.

"Then the same Hamas leader said that Moscow knew about the preparations and plans of Hamas. That is, if Moscow sees Israel as such a friend, why didn't it warn us? This senior official also noted that after the invasion of Israel, which began at approximately 6:28 a.m. on Saturday, October 7, Hamas contacted its friends in Moscow half an hour later and informed them of the start of the operation. To which Moscow friends expressed great sympathy and support, wishing them success in this operation. There are direct ties between the Kremlin and Hamas here, and given the fact that today the Kremlin is Iran's strategic military partner, there could have been trilateral contacts," emphasized Arkady Milman.

Milman added that some Hamas members trained in Iranian camps, as well as in Lebanon and Syria.

"So we can definitely say that there are direct links. We will certainly investigate this. I hope that our intelligence will make efforts to get to the bottom of the facts and have clear evidence. And then we will present the Kremlin with our account on this matter," summarized the former Russian ambassador to Israel.

Events in Israel: latest updates

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Palestinian armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a massive air and land attack on the state of Israel in several places. The head of the Hamas military wing, Mohammed Deif, said that his militants had launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. According to him, these actions are intended to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The Palestinians launched 2,000 to 3,000 missiles at Israel and simultaneously seized 7 communities in the south.

In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the mobilization of reservists and the launch of the Iron Swords counterterrorism operation. For the first time in 50 years, the government introduced martial law in the country. 

The IDF actively used aviation to strike Palestinian command posts. It has also begun clearing Hamas-occupied communities.

In addition, there is a great threat that the Shiite Hezbollah could attack Israel from the north, as its main partner and supplier, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), has called on jihadists to "liberate Jerusalem."

On the morning of October 8, the Saudi television channel Al Arabiya published the losses of both Palestinians and Israelis during the first day of the renewed military conflict. According to the channel, Israel lost 300 people killed and at least 1,600 wounded. The number of casualties from the Palestinian-populated Gaza Strip is 232 killed and 1,627 wounded. 

On October 8, Israeli troops claimed that Lebanon had attacked their territory, so the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked in response. In particular, Israeli aviation struck a complex belonging to the head of Hamas' intelligence.

Militants of the Lebanese military-political organization Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions on the border with the disputed Golan Heights and supported Hamas in its operation against Israel.

Due to the situation in the Middle East, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting. However, no action or decisions were taken after it. At the same time, the UK government stated that it would support Israel in its fight against terrorists and was ready to provide it with all necessary assistance.

On the afternoon of October 9, the Israeli army regained control of all areas on the border with the Gaza Strip. At this, it is possible that there are still Hamas militants on Israeli territory.

At night and during the day on the same day, the Israeli armed forces attacked the Gaza Strip. The main targets were command posts, homes of commanders, militants and ordinary soldiers of the Hamas terrorist organization. The Israeli Ministry of Defense ordered the military to put the Gaza Strip under blockade.

The leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy issued a joint statement expressing united support for Israel and condemning Hamas' actions.

As of the morning of October 11, the death toll in Israel has risen to 1,200, and the IDF has hit more than 200 targets in Gaza over the past day.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský was the first foreign statesman to personally arrive in Tel Aviv after Hamas's attack on Israel to evacuate 34 citizens of his country by plane.\On October 12, media reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would arrive in Israel to personally assess the situation in the country.

On Thursday, October 12, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasizes the need for a humanitarian corridor to the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages.