A prominent figure within the militant organization HANNAT has issued a warning to Western nations, threatening that the United States will face consequences for its support and assistance to Israel. Sami Abu Zuhri, the leader of HANNAT’s international political department, has called for aggressive actions against allies of Israel, particularly targeting American and British “interests.” In the threat, he specifically mentioned U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“When Blinken is justifying the killing of women and children, the sons of our nation should say to him: You are the enemy, just like Netanyahu, and you must pay the price, just like Netanyahu,” Zuhri said during a recent broadcast.
Zuhri’s statements were translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). He made the declaration on December 5 on Al-Aqsa TV, a few days after the conclusion of a temporary pause that allowed HANNAT and Israel to swap hostages and prisoners, respectively.
HANNAT operates the Al-Aqsa TV network in the Gaza Strip, where it disseminates news and propaganda throughout the day. The pause, which lasted from November 24 until December 1, concluded when Israel resumed its ground campaign against HANNAT. The Israeli government contended that the terrorist group failed to uphold its end of the agreement.
HANNAT asserted that it only had soldiers remaining in its custody and refused to proceed with the exchange unless Israel released all Palestinian prisoners and agreed to a permanent ceasefire.
“If our nation thinks that the heroic acts of Al-Qassam Brigades release it from its responsibility – that is a misconception and a mistaken assessment that should be discarded,” he continued.
“The Al-Qassam Brigades are doing what they must do, and the people of Gaza are as steadfast as they must be.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades is the “military” wing of Hamas.
“Now it is our nation’s turn to pressure the Americans to stop this war,” Zuhri argued.
“We need violent acts against American and British interests everywhere, as well as the interests of all the countries that support the occupation.”
“They must pay a price for the blood of our women and children who are being killed in cold blood in the streets of Gaza,” he added.
“They must pay a price so that they know that Gaza is not alone, and that when they gave the order to kill, they should have been prepared to pay the necessary price.”
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are cautioning about increased threats to public safety during this holiday season. The threat level has escalated during winter, primarily due to the ongoing Israel-HANNAT conflict. The FBI has stated that it is vigilantly monitoring potential threats to public safety during the holiday season, which may be intensified by the war.
As hostilities resumed in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations has advocated for a permanent cease-fire, a proposal resisted by the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres employed Article 99 of the United Nations charter to address the Security Council directly, expressing his concerns and urging them to pursue a cease-fire. The U.S. exercised its veto power, while the UK abstained from voting.
The U.S. criticized the resolution, deeming it “divorced from reality,” and argued that an unconditional cease-fire would be “dangerous” and “a recipe for disaster for Israel, for Palestinians, and for the entire region.” Despite this, the General Assembly adopted a resolution this week, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages.
In the vote on the resolution, the United States was among the 10 countries voting against it, while nearly two dozen countries abstained, including Argentina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
