Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau who has often been tied to the terrorist movement’s operations in the West Bank, warned that Israel will push the Middle East into a “broad, comprehensive, and very dangerous confrontation” within the next two years, in an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday.
Arouri stated that the current government is “unprecedented in the history of [Israel]” and is “dangerous in every sense of the word.”
“Most likely, it will cause a widespread conflict as a result of the practices in Al-Aqsa Mosque and what they are planning to do in the West Bank, and this will happen in the short term. We are talking about two to three years and during the remaining period of this government,” said the Hamas leader.
“[The government] may also cause the outbreak of a regional war as a result of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s policies towards Iran and Hezbollah. Everyone must take into account that this government is definitely pushing the entire region – and in the near future during the next two years – into a broad, comprehensive, and very dangerous confrontation.”
The Hamas leader added that the government is “causing division within the Zionist community,” which he welcomed.
Hamas sees opportunity to harm Israel amid international unrest
Arouri explained that the Hamas movement wants to exploit the international situation in order to “erode the credibility of international legitimacy, which stands unable to end the Zionist occupation despite all international resolutions stipulating that.”
Hamas additionally sees an opportunity in the desire of the international community to avoid a conflict in the Middle East parallel with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, explained Arouri.
“Sensing the importance of the current battle with Russia over global influence, the United States places a priority on preventing the outbreak of other conflicts and maintaining global calm and stability until the end of the Ukraine battle,” Arouri told Al Jazeera. “Our responsibility is to take advantage of this opportunity and escalate our resistance in a real and dangerous way that threatens the calm and stability they want.”
“Therefore, if we escalate our field resistance against the settlements and the occupation army in a real, effective, and impactful way, the entire global stability and security of the region will be on the brink of collapse. Then we can actually expel the occupation from the West Bank.”
“It is also our duty to prevent the enemy and his Zionist government from implementing their plans in Palestine at this time when the world is preoccupied with the international conflict.”
“This is an opportunity that must never be missed and must be exploited by all political and diplomatic means. But the real central means is to escalate the resistance through a direct and comprehensive confrontation between our people and the occupation and settlements.”
‘No Israeli government has the courage to do a prisoner swap’
Arouri additionally addressed the Israeli civilians and soldiers being held captive by Hamas, stating that “there is no government in the enemy entity that has the courage to conclude an exchange deal.”
“Serious attempts have been made to negotiate over the captured soldiers in Gaza, but the enemy government is unable to make a decision, and continues to lie to the soldiers’ families that it is making every effort to find out their fate.”
When asked why most of the terrorist attacks in the past year have been in the northern West Bank, Arouri noted that terrorist groups in that area were able to grow rapidly due to Israel’s disengagement from much of the area in 2005.
The interview with Al Jazeera came amid continued concerns of an escalation between Israel and Hamas in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Lebanon.
Arouri, who has been linked to Hamas’s operations in the West Bank, is believed to be a potential target if Israeli authorities decide to carry out targeted strikes against leaders of the movement outside the West Bank. He is currently hiding in Lebanon.