Pentagon chief Austin says Hamas atrocities are ‘worse than what I saw with ISIS’ ::::: Hezbollah is a Shiite political party, Hamas has genesis in Muslim Brotherhood

 Pentagon chief Austin says Hamas atrocities are ‘worse than what I saw with ISIS’

Visiting Tel Aviv in show of support, defense secretary says US ‘will make sure Israel has what it needs,’ decries those offering ‘false equivalence or excuses for the inexcusable’

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left), Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (center) and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi meet in Tel Aviv on October 13, 2023. 

Meeting with Netanyahu, Austin told the Israeli leader that “we’re with you, Mr. Prime Minister, and as the president said, we have your back.”

Austin, who served as the commander of CENTCOM, the US forces in the Middle East, from 2013-2016, told Netanyahu that “as you know, I was the guy that initially put the ISIS campaign together and I know a lot about ISIS, and this is worse than what I saw with ISIS.”

“There is never any justification for terrorism. And that’s especially true after this rampage by Hamas. And anyone who wants lasting peace and security for this region, must condemn and isolate Hamas,” Austin said at a press conference alongside Gallant. 

“Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian people or their legitimate hopes for dignity, security and statehood and peace alongside Israel.

Hezbollah is a Shiite political party; Hamas has genesis in Muslim Brotherhood  

Hamas, the Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, is a Sunni group, Hezbollah, meaning party of God, is a Shiite political party with a military wing active in Lebanon. Its emergence dates back to the 1980s.

Hamas, on the other hand, has its genesis in the Muslim Brotherhood dating back to the 1920s and was formed in 1987. Both the groups have one common goal— the destruction of Israel and have been designated as terrorist organisations by the United States.

The difference in their military capabilities, operational styles, ground tactics, and weapons arsenals is crucial for comprehending the dynamics of the ongoing conflict with Israel.

It's important to understand that Hezbollah operates as both a political and military organization in Lebanon. Its leaders are involved in both political decision-making within Lebanon and military activities that extend beyond the country's borders. 

Hezbollah maintains a highly disciplined and secretive structure, making it challenging to obtain detailed information about its leadership and internal workings.  

WHO ARE HEZBOLLAH'S TOP LEADERS?

Hassan Nasrallah - Secretary General

Hezbollah is led by Hassan Nasrallah, who has been at the helm as secretary general of the group since 1992. Nasrallah is known as a charismatic and popular figure, and said to be a skilled military strategist and has played a key role in Hezbollah's successes against Israel. 

The 63-year-old cleric has risen through the military ranks and subsequently became a political leader. Coming from a humble background, growing up in eastern Beirut, Nasrallah studied Islam closely from a young age.

A Shia Lebanese cleric, he is the deputy secretary general of Hezbollah and considered the second in command of Hezbollah. He was among those who found the party in the 1980s and has been the second in command since 1992. He started as a student leader in the 1970s. He has also been quoted showing his support to the Kashmiri terrorists. -- says 'India Today' 

WHO ARE THE TOP LEADERS OF HAMAS?

Ismail Haniyeh

Hamas is led by Ismail Haniyeh, living in exile in Doha. He was born in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza in 1963. He graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in Arabic Literature. Haniyeh rapidly rose through the ranks of Hamas, beginning his journey in the movement as a student leader. 

After Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections, Haniyeh was nominated as the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. However, his term was marked by internal conflict, particularly with the rival faction Fatah, which culminated in the 2007 Fatah-Hamas conflict and the eventual split between the West Bank and Gaza administrations. Haniyeh became the chief of Hamas's political bureau in 2017, succeed

Ismail became chief of Hamas in 2017

Israelis and Palestinians are facing their moment of greatest danger since 1948

Yuval Noah Harari says in 'The Guardian'

There is still a slim chance of peace if wiser counsels prevail and other major powers intervene in a coalition of the willing

Israel has just experienced the worst day in its history. More Israeli civilians have been slaughtered in a single day than all the civilians and soldiers Israel lost in the 1956 Sinai war, the 1967 six-day war and the 2006 second Lebanon war combined. The stories and images coming out of the area occupied by Hamas are horrific. 

Many of my own friends and family members have suffered unspeakable atrocities. This means the Palestinians, too, are now facing immense danger. 

The most powerful country in the Middle East is livid with pain, fear and anger. I do not have either the knowledge or moral authority to speak about how things look from the Palestinian perspective. But in the moment of Israel’s greatest pain, I would like to issue a warning about how things look from the Israeli side of the fence.  

During the 1990s Oslo peace process, Israel gave peace a chance. I know that from the viewpoint of Palestinians and some outside observers, Israeli peace offers were insufficient and arrogant, but it was still the most generous offer Israel has ever made. During that peace process, Israel handed partial control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. 

The outcome for Israelis was the worst terror campaign they had experienced until then. Israelis are still haunted by memories of daily life in the early 2000s, with buses and restaurants bombed every day. That terror campaign killed not only hundreds of Israeli civilians, but also the peace process and the Israeli left. Maybe Israel’s peace offer wasn’t generous enough. But was terrorism the only possible response?

After the failure of the peace process, Israel’s next experiment in Gaza was disengagement. In the mid-2000s, Israel unilaterally retreated from the entire Gaza Strip, dismantled all settlements there and returned to the internationally recognised pre-1967 border. True, it continued to impose a partial blockade on the Gaza Strip and to occupy the West Bank. 

But the withdrawal from Gaza was still a very significant Israeli step, and Israelis waited anxiously to see what the result of that experiment would be. 

The remnants of the Israeli left hoped that the Palestinians would make an honest attempt to turn Gaza into a prosperous and peaceful city state, a Middle Eastern Singapore, showing to the world and to the Israeli right what the Palestinians could do when given the opportunity to govern themselves.

Sure, it is difficult to build a Singapore under a partial blockade. But an honest attempt could still have been made, in which case there would have been greater pressure on the Israeli government from both foreign powers and the Israeli public to remove the blockade from Gaza and to reach an honourable deal about the West Bank as well. 

Instead, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip and turned it into a terrorist base from which repeated attacks were launched on Israeli civilians. Another experiment ended in failure.

D for Diplomacy vis-s-vis Israel and Palestine

On October 7th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not waste time and posted a statement on micro blogging site X, earlier Twitter, expressing his deep shock at the “terrorist attacks” and that “we (India) stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”  Now, in its first official statement on the Israel-Hamas war, the foreign ministry, MEA, has come out with a more diplomatically statement. 
Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in response to questions at the weekly briefing, said that there is a “universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law".

There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The phrase — “universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law” — is seen as aimed at Israel which is conducting aerial strikes in Gaza.

The clause, “international humanitarian law,” also seeks to protect innocent civilians and so this is meant for Hamas, which killed civilians including women, children and the elderly.  The targeted attacks against Israeli civilians have claimed 1,300 lives on the Israeli side, and the death toll in Gaza because of Israeli air strikes rose to more than 1,350, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The remarks - “global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” is a statement that goes generally with the 'macho' image of PM Modi and his government and also makes right signals in support to Israel. Significantly, Modi had also said that India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

PM maintained so even during his phone conversation with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu with whom he shares a good personal bonding. 

However, New Delhi has also reiterated its traditional position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, as the MEA spokesperson said India has advocated the resumption of “direct negotiations” towards establishing a “sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel”.

Bagchi said, “Our policy in this regard has been long standing and consistent. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel.”

India is also sending a chartered flight today to bring back about 230 Indian nationals, who are expected to return Friday when another flight may be sent. There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel, and about 16 in Palestine — a dozen in the West Bank and 3-4 people in Gaza, the MEA spokesperson said.

The reiteration of the Indian position on Palestine is the first official comments from Delhi, after the PMO statement on the phone call between Modi and Netanyahu was reiterated by the MEA Tuesday. Modi’s second post on the issue came on Tuesday at 2.38 pm when he received a phone call from Netanyahu.

 “People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he tweeted.
The spokesperson’s statements are a part of Delhi’s diplomatic imperatives as it has Israel as a key strategic partner on one side and allies in a divided Arab world on the other including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Iran and Egypt.