Israel at war with Hamas, not Palestine - Israeli diplomat.

Speaking to a small group of African journalists during a working session Tuesday, in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, Oded stated that Israel is at war with the Hamas terrorist organisation, which he said has been threatening the security and peace of Israel. 

Oded, who is currently serving as Israeli Deputy Director General of the Middle East and Peace Division at the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that Israel will stop at nothing to ensure its sovereignty. 

He said though Israel's security has been challenged since its establishment as a nation in 1948, the current situation has become more worrying. 

"We have been experiencing one of the biggest threats since October 7, 2023. What happened on that day was a horrific attack by a terrorist organisation...we had not experienced anything like that in modern Israel history," Oded said. 

The diplomat then noted that: "One of the biggest mistakes is thinking that the October 7, 2023 attack is another milestone in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Again, I say this will be the biggest mistake".

The diplomat was categorical that "...our war is not against Palestine”. 

He explained that: “The war we are engaging is against a very extremist terrorist organisation, called Hamas. Unfortunately, it is not only in our part of the world that we have elements of extremism". 

"So, we shouldn't see this as another episode of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the diplomat insisted, stating that: "We should view it in a broader context. What happened since October 7 is a good illustration". 

Quizzed if the ongoing war has been affecting Israel's relations with Arab countries in the world, Oded, who served as Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, was of the affirmative. 

He, however, said Israel still enjoys good relations with most countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. 

"You know, we have good relations with many moderate Arab countries in the region. Some of them, we have signed full diplomatic relations with like the veteran peace countries of Jordan and Egypt. We also have full relations with United Arab Emirates, UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and others...," Oded said. 

He regretted the propaganda by Hamas, stated that: "...naturally, with images coming in after the October 7 attack, there have been internal issues with some countries and the public sentiment, which of course has been negative toward Israel. We are not fighting Palestinians; we are fighting Hamas. We are doing what any responsible government will do to protect its security".

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3448 of Wednesday May 14, 2025