Hamas Attack: Russia's Payback at Israel

Russia supported the Hamas attack after Israel indirectly armed Ukraine with military technology and Yair Lapid accused Russia of war crimes.

Is Russia Behind Hamas Attack on Israel? What We Know (newsweek.com)

“There has also been speculation on social media of Russian involvement in the Hamas operation, though there is no evidence indicating Moscow's alleged role.”

That internet speculation has been me @DCinTejas on X. Are you sure there’s no evidence?

(Image: Analyzing Imagery from Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (substack.com)

Ryan McBeth claims it is “unlikely” Russia funded the attacks on Israel. Make of this what you will…

Divided & Conquered assumes everyone is a limited hangout or getting their information from one. I like to get a wide range of information from all sides of the political aisle and even official government sources to let the chips fall where they may. So, this is what I found. If you find other evidence that might give more context or show that this information is wrong, please post it in the comments section. I’m more interested in the truth than political partisanship. This substack is always free and I’m paid by absolutely no one except for my medical military retirement. I am providing you the articles and an excerpt of the relevant text, but it’s up to you determine what you believe and act according with your government representatives. I don’t tell people who to vote for. People know what is in their best interest.

Treasury Designates Illicit Russia-Iran Oil Network Supporting the Assad Regime, Hizballah, and HAMAS – 2018 (state.gov)

U.S. sanctions prohibit material support to the Government of Syria, including shipments of oil to Syrian government-controlled ports, as well as material support to designated terrorist groups.

“Today we are acting against a complex scheme Iran and Russia have used to bolster the Assad regime and generate funds for Iranian malign activity,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.  “Central Bank of Iran officials continue to exploit the international financial system, and in this case even used a company whose name suggests a trade in humanitarian goods as a tool to facilitate financial transfers supporting this oil scheme.  We are issuing an Advisory today identifying the grave risks to the maritime community if they participate in shipping oil to the Government of Syria.  The United States is committed to imposing a financial toll on Iran, Russia, and others for their efforts to solidify Assad’s authoritarian rule, as well as disrupt the Iranian regime’s funding of terrorist organizations.”

Russian envoy: We'll 'respond accordingly' if Israel gives Ukraine defensive gear | The Times of Israel 21 April 2022

The Iranian Drones in Ukraine’s Already Crowded Skies - The New York Times (nytimes.com) Oct. 19, 2022

Westernizing Soviet-Era Hardware: How Israel Could Discreetly Aid Ukraine Militarily (forbes.com) Sep 30, 2022

Slovenia’s transfer of 28 of its M-55S tanks to Ukraine marks, as Israeli media has already noted, the first time that Ukraine has indirectly received Israeli military technology. After all, the M-55S tank is a modernized version of the vintage Soviet T-55 tank outfitted with improved armor, fire control systems, and a NATO-standard gun. Israel’s Elbit upgraded these Slovenian tanks back in the 1990s…

While Israel has provided Ukraine humanitarian aid, it has consistently refused to send weapons systems, most likely out of its desire not to antagonize Russia. Israel’s air defenses are among the best in the world and were sought by Ukraine for protection against repeated Russian air and missile attacks.

(An Israeli defense contractor has reportedly been supplying drone defense systems to Ukraine via Poland, which could benefit Kyiv now that Russia has begun using large numbers of its newly-acquired armed Iranian drones in the conflict.)…

If Slovakia, Poland, or Bulgaria, ultimately give their MiG-29s to Ukraine, Israeli contractors could modify them too — making such fighters compatible with more advanced Western air-to-air missiles and precision-guided munitions would be particularly useful for Kyiv. Israelis could also upgrade the Russian T-80U tanks and air defense systems currently in the military arsenal of the Republic of Cyprus if Nicosia ultimately agrees to transfer them.

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'Whole world in danger': Lapid warns of Russia-Iran arms ties in call with Kyiv's FM | The Times of Israel 20 October 2022

Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday amid anger in Kyiv over Israel’s refusal to supply arms to Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion. In the call, Lapid expressed “deep concern about the military ties between Iran and Russia,” his office said, after Moscow allegedly used Iran-made drones to attack Ukraine. Separately, in a TV interview, Lapid warned that Russian-Iranian arms ties put “the whole world in danger.”

After the phone discussion, Lapid tweeted that Kuleba updated him on the war, while the prime minister said he “shared with him [Kuleba] our deep concern about the military ties between Iran and Russia,” affirming that “Israel stands with the Ukrainian people…”

On Monday, Dmitri Medvedev, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, warned Israel in a social media post that any “reckless” supply of military equipment to Ukraine “will destroy all interstate relations between our countries.”

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U.S. sends Israel-stored weapons to Ukraine (axios.com) Jan 18, 2023

The U.S. has in recent months transferred hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from its ammunition stockpiles in Israel to Ukraine, three current and former Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The ammunition that was transferred to Ukraine was part of a U.S. weapons stockpile that is pre-positioned in warehouses on Israeli soil as part of an agreement between the countries.

• The warehouses are locked and only U.S. military personnel has access to them. But according to the agreement between the countries, Israel can use this ammunition in a war scenario in short order under U.S. approval.

Of note: Israel was granted access to the ammunition during the war with Lebanon in 2006 and also during the 2014 Gaza conflict…

Driving the news: The transfer of the 155mm artillery shells from the U.S. stockpile in Israel to Ukraine was first reported by the New York Times…

Between the lines: The Israeli officials said the main concern was that Russia would see this move as military aid by Israel to Ukraine.

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15 Yair Lapid MKs’ Phones Were Hacked | The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com | David Israel | September 10, 2023

The Shin Bet is investigating whether foreign elements hacked into the mobile phones of Yesh Atid MKs, including the party chairman who is also chairman of the opposition, Yair Lapid. According to reports, about 15 Yesh Atid MKs, Lapid included, were dropped from their WhatsApp accounts on Saturday.

Hadash MK Ofer Cassif’s WhatsApp has also been disconnected…

Yesh Atid issued a statement on Saturday, saying, “During the day, a malfunction was reported on several Knesset members’ phones. The incident was reported to the Knesset officer and the Shin Bet. The malfunction was handled and is being investigated.”

(Whatsapp was invented by Ukrainian Jan Koum and Russians programmers with Israeli financing.)

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Moscow’s invitation to Hamas could be meant as warning to Israel? - JNS.org

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Moscow on Sept. 10 at the head of a senior delegation from the terror group for talks with Russian officials. Analysts speculate that Moscow’s invitation to Hamas, like an earlier one in May, is meant to send a message of dissatisfaction to Israel.

“The Russians typically use meetings with Hamas to signal displeasure with Israel, perhaps in relation to Ukraine,” Hillel Frisch, senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told JNS.

A noteworthy aspect of the May meeting is that it came a month after Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid, then foreign minister, accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, specifically in relation to alleged atrocities committed outside Kyiv. Of the current meeting, Frisch said it was unclear what specifically Russia may have found objectionable about Israeli statements or actions…

For Geifman, the important point is that this isn’t something new. “The Russians have always played the anti-Israel, or anti-Western, card whenever it was convenient for them, from the Soviet days. They’ve always talked to terrorists. It’s not even a question of talking—it’s collaborating,” she said.

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Gaza has been described as an open-air prison and half the population are children. Benjamin Netanyahu’s crimes against humanity are being paid by innocent Israeli women and children. Just like the crimes of Hamas, Iran, and Russia are being paid by innocent Palestinian children. An ethno-religious autocratic regime is unsustainable and even the editorial board at Israel’s Haaretz lays the blame squarely at the feet of Netanyahu’s regime.

-D.C.

Additional Sources:

Israel Can’t Imprison 2 Million Gazans Without Paying a Cruel Price - Opinion - Haaretz.com Oct 9, 2023

ISW: Russia exploiting Hamas attack on Israel to divert support from Ukraine (yahoo.com)

Moscow, under fire for Hitler comments, says Israel backing 'neo-Nazis' in Ukraine | The Times of Israel 3 May 2022

Early on in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel sought to walk a diplomatic tightrope between Moscow and Kyiv, preserving relations with both of its allies and offering to broker talks. But more recently, Jerusalem has turned toward supporting Ukraine, denouncing Russia for committing apparent war crimes and sending helmets and flak jackets to Ukraine, reversing an earlier policy of not supplying military aid…

The foreign minister said he could not “rule out” the possibility that Lavrov’s comments were made in response to Lapid’s own statements accusing Russia of war crimes amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine…

According to a diplomatic official cited in Haaretz, Israel will not consider sending offensive arms or advanced defensive technology, such as the Iron Dome anti-missile system, but will attempt to find equipment that can be donated without sparking a crisis with Moscow.

Viktorov, the Russian ambassador, said last month that if Israel supplies Ukraine with military equipment, Moscow “will respond accordingly.”

After first call with Lapid, Zelensky says expects Israel to join Russia sanctions | The Times of Israel 1 September 2022

Russia's Lavrov meets with Hamas politburo chief Haniyeh in Moscow | The Times of Israel

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the political head of the Hamas terror group in Moscow on Monday, in a move likely to aggravate an already strained relationship between Israel and the Kremlin.

During the talks with politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, Lavrov urged an end to a rift between Hamas and its rival Fatah, headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry. The two also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…

The visit came amid fraying ties between Jerusalem and Moscow, largely over Israel’s support for Ukraine since Russia’s February 24 invasion of its neighbor. Russia has sought to shut down the Jewish Agency from operating in its territory and has indicated little patience for airstrikes, attributed to Israel, on Iranian targets inside Syria…

Lavrov has met with Haniyeh several times in recent years, as well as with Haniyeh’s predecessor Khaled Mashaal. The two last met in early 2020. In late 2018, Israel reportedly lodged strong protests with Moscow over another planned meeting between Haniyeh and Lavrov, to no avail. Many of the meetings have revolved around efforts to advance reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

Moscow has on several occasions hosted representatives from the two rival parties and several other Palestinian factions to discuss mending the internal Palestinian rift.

PA silent on Ukraine as Hamas official declares 'end of American domination' | The Times of Israel

Hamas officials in Gaza were ordered not to speak to the press on the matter. The terror group fears any public stance would damage Hamas’s relationship either with Russia or with ordinary Palestinians, many of whom sympathize with the Ukrainians…

Some 2,500 Palestinians remain in Ukraine, the PA’s envoy to Ukraine, Hisham Dajani, told official Palestine TV…

Palestinian Authority officials have close personal ties with Moscow going back decades. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided aid and support to the Palestine Liberation Organization. Many Palestinians studied at Soviet universities, including long-ruling PA president Mahmoud Abbas. On the other hand, Palestinians on social media have compared the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Many have expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians, whom they describe as facing a potential “occupation” by foreign invaders.

Iran–Russia relations - Wikipedia

In 2015, Putin ordered a military intervention in Syria, supporting the Assad regime and its Iranian allies with an aerial bombing campaign against the Syrian opposition. While much of the Iranian military uses Iranian-manufactured weapons and domestic hardware, Iran still purchases some weapons systems from Russia. In turn, Iran assisted Russia with its drone technology and other military technology during its invasion of Ukraine.^[10][11]

In January 2021 Iran, China and Russia held their third joint naval exercise, the third joint exercise of the three countries, in the northern Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman area. The joint exercise of the three countries began in 2019 in the Indian Ocean.^[51]

According to the United States, Russia sought to acquire drones from Iran during the Russo-Ukrainian War, with a Russian delegation visiting Kashan Airfield south of Tehran in June and July 2022 to observe drones manufactured by Iran.^[52] Iran criticized the assessment by the United States, saying that it would not supply Russia or Ukraine with military equipment during the war, instead demanding that both nations seek a peaceful resolution.^[53] In September 2022, the Ukrainian military claimed that it encountered an Iranian-supplied suicide drone used by Russia, publishing images of the wreckage of the drone.^[54] On October 6, 2022, Iran agreed to provide "additional" surface to air missiles and drones to Russia.^[55] On October 24, 2022, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Iran would "not remain indifferent" if it is "proven that Iranian drones are being used in the Ukraine war against people," but claimed defense cooperation between Iran and Russia would continue.^[56]

According to various media outlets, as of 2023, the American intelligence has claimed that Iran has been assisting Moscow in building a drone factory within its borders to maintain its war machine in Ukraine.^[57][58]

In August 2023, The White House has reportedly urged Iran to cease selling armed drones to Russia as part of broader discussions in Qatar and Oman, aimed at de-escalating the nuclear crisis. This effort runs alongside negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal, which recently led to the transfer of Iranian-US citizens from prison to house arrest. The US seeks to prevent Iran from supplying drones and spare parts to Russia, currently used in the Ukrainian conflict.^[59]