Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Friday that he expects the Palestinian militant group Hamas to “overreact” with Israeli counterattacks.
“Hamas is hoping that Israel will overreact, cause civilian casualties and the deaths of innocent Palestinians, and that the Arab world will withdraw from Israel,” Johnson said. On CNN.
In an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, Prime Minister Johnson said that on a per capita basis, Saturday’s surprise attack on Israel by Hamas was bigger than 9/11, and that Hamas is as vicious as ISIS and al-Qaeda. He said it was a terrorist organization.
“They expect Israel to overreact. They have no interest in the safety of Palestinians,” Johnson said. “They are more interested in Israelis overreacting and causing the deaths of innocent civilians.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war on Hamas and maintains that Israel will retaliate for the attack. In his Sunday speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to use the full might of his military to annihilate Hamas by force and warned that the war would be long and difficult.
In a message on Friday, Israel ordered one million residents south of Gaza City to evacuate their homes ahead of a possible ground operation. The area had reportedly already experienced Israeli airstrikes and power outages, causing panic among civilians.
Prime Minister Johnson was alarmed by the IDF’s counterattack and confident attitude, saying: “They are walking a tightrope right now.”
More than 2,800 people have been killed on both sides since the fighting began. Approximately 150 people are being held hostage by armed groups in Gaza, and Israel has halted the flow of supplies into Gaza until the hostages are released.
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