A senior member of Hamas has said the Palestinian militant group was surprised by America’s reaction to recent bombardment in Gaza, suggesting the US could enter the fight after it sent thousands of troops and a pair of aircraft carriers to the region, helping Israel to bombard Palestine.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’ political leadership based in Lebanon, said the group “didn’t expect this much of a response” from the United States.
“An Israeli response? Yes, we expected that,” he said. “But what we’re seeing now is the entrance of the US into the battle, and this we didn’t count on.”
Washington has made major shows of force in the Middle East since October 7 attack, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean, as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 sailors and marines.
US officials have said the moves were meant to deter outsiders from taking part in the Gaza war.
On Thursday, the Pentagon said it carried out airstrikes on two facilities in eastern Syria alleged to be used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and “affiliated” groups, claiming the operation was in “self-defense” following a string of rocket attacks on US troops.
More than 7,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in weeks of IDF bombing since, with Israel now preparing a significant ground operation.
