In an exclusive interview with ANI, Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, stated that Israel’s ongoing operation in Gaza aims to ensure that Hamas no longer controls the region and cannot attack Tel Aviv again.
Gilon also accused Hamas of manipulating casualty figures to generate international pressure on Israel. He questioned the death toll announced by Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, alleging that Hamas “plays” with the numbers to spread misinformation and propaganda.
The outgoing ambassador described the October 7, 2023 attack, when Hamas militants infiltrated Israeli communities, as the “worst thing” against the Jewish community since the Holocaust. “It’s the worst thing that happened to Jewish people since the Holocaust in the Second World War. On October 7 morning, a Jewish holiday, thousands of Hamas terrorists infiltrated 20 Jewish communities around Israel. They murdered 1,200 people, raped, and burned people alive. We are now in a situation where 120 people are still held hostage, some of them dead,” Gilon said.
Over 2,000 Hamas terrorists breached Israeli borders on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking around 250 hostages, with approximately 120 still in captivity, many feared dead. In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive in Gaza to “completely eliminate” Hamas.
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Gilon emphasized that Israel’s operation in Gaza aims to bring back all hostages safely and prevent Hamas, designated as a terror organization by Israel and some EU nations, from attacking again. An estimated 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli operation, leading to international criticism and calls for a ceasefire.
When asked about a potential ceasefire, Gilon stated that Hamas intentionally avoids finalizing a hostage deal to retain “human shields.” “There are two main targets of this operation: ensuring Hamas does not control Gaza and cannot build its forces to attack Israel, and bringing back the hostages,” Gilon said.
Gilon responded to criticism about civilian casualties, asserting that Israel aims to minimize them but faces challenges due to Gaza’s dense population and Hamas’ tactics of hiding behind civilians. “From their point of view, any Palestinian dying creates pressure on Israel to stop the war. That’s their aim,” he said.
Gilon also questioned the death toll figures provided by Hamas, claiming that Hamas counts every casualty as a civilian, not differentiating between terrorists and civilians. “The figures they are playing with, we have to take that into account,” he stated.
During his address to the US Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Despite all the lies you’ve heard, the war in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatants to noncombatants casualties in the history of urban warfare.”
Gilon has served as Israel’s Ambassador to India since 2021, with his tenure ending in August this year. Last month, the Israel Embassy in India hosted a farewell dinner for departing diplomats, including Ambassador Gilon. Speaking at the event, Gilon called it an “honor” to represent Israel in India, stressing the unique bond between Israel and India built on shared values and mutual respect.
(With ANI Inputs)
