Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strongly criticized the proliferation of "Hamas propaganda" in universities, emphasizing that Israel is at the forefront of defending the values of the free world. In a briefing with the Daily Mail, Gallant also raised concerns about the misuse of aid funds by pro-Palestinian activists, asserting that these resources are being channeled into global "terrorist networks."
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Highlighting the dire humanitarian situation, Gallant accused Hamas of exploiting the crisis in Gaza and even reported instances of civilians alleging the group is stealing food supplies.
He cautioned the allegations made by civilians living under Hamas's control should serve as a stark reminder to the British public about the true nature of the terrorist group. "When there is a fire in the first house, you have to stop it from spreading in the village and reaching the church. Israel is like the first house. We are fighting on the front line of the free world against terrorism," the defense minister further emphasized.
As the conflict rages on, an elderly Palestinian woman took an enormous risk to share her story with an Al Jazeera reporter, alleging Hamas was redirecting the much-needed aid packages into tunnels. "Everything goes to their houses," she said. Meanwhile, a young Palestinian mother cradling her infant lamented to a journalist: "You send us humanitarian aid, but I swear to God that we get nothing."
In the UK, vast swaths of people have flooded the streets, pushing for an end to the violence. While protests have remained largely peaceful, blatant antisemitic expressions by a few have sent shock waves through Israel and raised concerns.
Against this backdrop, Gallant delivered a pointed message to those in the UK who continue to back the Gaza regime, directing their attention to the disturbing accounts surrounding the misappropriation of aid.
"Hamas uses every tool possible, including sacrificing hundreds of thousands of civilians. They are capitalizing on the humanitarian situation and using the civilian population. They have built hundreds of kilometers of tunnels under hospitals, school, etc. They are using hospitals and civilian infrastructure to protect terror infrastructure."
A CNN video highlighting how Gaza civilians are suffering under Hamas
(Video: CNN)
As his British counterpart, Grant Shapps, visited Israel, Gallant used the opportunity to express his gratitude for the support given by the UK. "The level of understanding and cooperation between Israel and the UK militarily, and in the field of intelligence, are at a peak and will only go further. We share the same values and interests, especially in the fight against terrorism," he said.
"Secretary Shapps' visit was historic – we haven't had a visit by a British Secretary of State for Defense in 27 years. We deeply value our relationship and defense cooperation."
On the northern front, exchanges of fire between the IDF and Iran-backed Hezbollah have steadily intensified, with the only cessation occurring during the week of hostages-for-prisoners exchange. "We do not want war, but if we reach a situation where we need to establish our security here, we will not hesitate – just as we did not hesitate in the south," Gallant said.
Criticism against Hamas has come from various sources lately, not the least of which is their own Yousef al-Mansi, a former communications minister, who labeled current Hamas chief, Yahya Sinwar, "a madman," claiming his actions have "set Gaza back 200 years."