What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
On Thursday, the conflict between Israel and the terror group Hamas reached its 55th day, with both sides currently observing a ceasefire. The truce, initiated on November 24, was extended by an additional 2 days until Wednesday, as mediators advocate for a more “sustainable” cessation of hostilities.
In an exclusive interview with The New Indian, Ohad Nakash Kaynar, Deputy Ambassador of Israel to India, shed light on the UN’s silence on Hamas’ acts of sexual violence, mutilation, and murder of Israeli women. He also discussed India’s stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the role of Iran in the war, and Israel’s strong determination to dismantle Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Shia Militia in Iraq and Syria, along with their backers.
The UN has received criticism for not speaking out on Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel which triggered the current conflict. Last week, over 50 days after Hamas conducted brutal attacks in Israel, the women’s rights group UN Women released a statement condemning the terror group. However, it subsequently removed the post.
“We condemn the brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7 and continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” read the initial statement, posted on UN Women’s Instagram page. But it was later replaced with a statement that omitted the condemnation of Hamas and solely urged the release of the hostages.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also consistently expressed solidarity with the hardships faced by Gazans. He emphasised, “The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world,” adding, “We must not look away.”
Addressing the concerns of the UN regarding Israel’s policies and actions towards the Palestinians, especially in terms of the settlements, the blockade, and the use of force, Kaynar said, “Israel has nothing to prove to organisations which have found not one opportunity in the last 50+ days since October 7 to denounce Hamas’ ISIS terrorism. If UN Women does not believe Jewish women stating they were raped, then they are vapid apologists of sexual Jihad, and should be defunded and replaced.
“If the UNICEF head finds time to visit the children of Gaza, but not the children of Israel, then she is morally biased and unfit for office. If UNRWA keeps Hamas terrorists on a payroll, then they are committing war crimes. These are all facts!
“We are in a war with a Nazi terror organisation, who targeted our civilians; they butchered, raped, murdered, and kidnapped them. They did that intentionally. We will fight them and we will destroy them. While civilian deaths are regrettable and could have been avoided if Hamas hadn’t entrenched itself in cities, schools and hospitals, these deaths lay at the door of Hamas-ISIS and no one else.”
India’s stance, articulated since the October 7 terror attacks along the Israel-Gaza border by Hamas, resulting in the death of more than 1,200 people, and subsequently during the bombardment of Gaza by Israel where more than 13,000 have been killed, has been complex. Although the Modi government has condemned terrorism in the strongest language and stood with Israel over the attack, it hasn’t thus far designated Hamas as a terror group.
Nonetheless, discussing India’s stand on the war, Kaynar highlighted the importance of countries that have experienced terrorism supporting each other, emphasising that such solidarity is rare in the contemporary world.
“We’ve said from day one and at every opportunity we got since, how appreciated PM Modi’s support is and that of the government of India and most of its people is to us. It’s not only moral support, it’s the ethical legitimacy that all countries who’ve suffered from terrorism need to give each other. You stand with us when it counts most as we stood and will stand with you in the same. This is what true support against terrorism looks like, and sadly it’s very rare today,” he said.
According to Iranian Minister of Intelligence Esmaeil Khatib, the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, known as the “Al-Aqsa Storm,” marked a significant historical turning point in the region. Khatib stated on October 30 that, in his view, the conditions in Israel after the Al-Aqsa Storm are deemed historical, representing the commencement of a new era. He further asserted that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm successfully thwarted one of the US’ most strategic and fundamental plans in the region.
Khatib’s statement reflects the sense of accomplishment and confidence demonstrated by Iran’s leaders following the Hamas attack. They perceive it as a strategic victory benefiting their regional allies and interests.
Iran has consistently supported both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) by providing them with financial aid, weapons, and political backing. Additionally, Iran has established a network of alliances across the Middle East, encompassing groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various armed factions in Iraq and Syria. Iran refers to this coalition as an “axis of resistance” aimed at countering Israel and its allies.
Shedding light on Iran’s history of “exporting terrorism”, he said, “We are in direct war with four of Iran’s proxies. They are too cowardly to open a war directly, as they still hope to fool the West into lifting sanctions and achieving nuclear arms. It is their stated goal and this has been proven time and again. They opened this war to thwart any chance of peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia, to try and destroy Israel, and to send a threatening message to all peaceful countries.
“We are not deterred. Far from it. There now exists an overwhelming resolve to destroy Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Shia Militia in Iraq and Syria, as well as their senders. Iran is a rogue state, inflicting carnage on its own people since 1979. It has fostered nothing good since. Brought nothing positive to the world and exported only terrorism.”
