Mark Regev, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom and current senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told BBC News on Monday that Gaza residents would be the target of retaliation from Hamas if they demonstrated against the terrorist group that rules the region authoritarian regime.
A station presenter explained that doctors at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City denied this Hamas’ command and control center is subordinate to the health unitAs Israel pointed out, Regev responded:
“Of course they denied it, Liz. Anyone who speaks out against Hamas in Gaza must expect violent reprisals. It’s not a democracy. It’s a very brutal regime. We saw the kind of brutality they displayed [os terroristas do grupo] they are capable. Of course a doctor can’t talk about this. But I ask: in all the interviews that the BBC and other media outlets have conducted with Gazans since the war broke out, have you seen a single person criticizing Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th? No, they cannot speak out against Hamas. They live in an authoritarian and repressive regime. So the doctors may know that Hamas’ command and control center is subordinate to their hospital. I’m sure they know. But of course they can’t say that. They would face violent retaliation.”
Shifa Hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, has 1,500 beds and around 4,000 employees. The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that Hamas’ main base of operations operates under the unit and that the underground complex is accessible from the outside through several tunnels; and inside by an infirmary.
“We have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded the hospital to hide after the October 7 massacres,” said IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
“Hamas is waging war in hospitals. By operating from these hospitals, Hamas is not only endangering the lives of Israeli civilians, but also exploiting innocent civilians in Gaza,” he added.
“Did you see a single Gazan who spoke out against Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th? No. You cannot speak out against Hamas. They live in an authoritarian, repressive regime.”
From my interview onwards @BBC News earlier today. pic.twitter.com/ClhP7nvVzI— Mark Regev (@MarkRegev) October 30, 2023