There is no need for friendly countries to put boots on ground to support Israeli lives, said an Israeli government representative in an exclusive conversation with CNBC-TV18's Parikshit Luthra.

"Israel doesn't need other countries to send soldiers, we can fight for our own lives," Joel Lion, Deputy Spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said. His comments came as Tel Aviv still continues to eliminate Hamas militants on its soil. Local media and many internal commentators have criticised this as worst intelligence failure since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

He also defended PM Netanyahu's Monday (October 9) comment of equating Hamas to ISIS, reasoning that the Gaza organisation has killed over 900 Israelis, with over 100 abducted.

"2,700 Israelis are in hospitals because of 5,500 Hamas rockets hitting sovereign Israeli territory," Lion said. He cited Hamas using human shields as one of the challenges for the ongoing Israeli Air Force (IAF) strikes. "When we are bombing Gaza, we do our best to not bomb civilians, hospitals or schools. Israel's problem is that Hamas is using human shields by hiding in hospitals and schools."

Lion's statement comes at a time when media reports are filled with speculations of a possible ground invasion by Israel, as Tel Aviv amasses its troops along the Gaza Strip border.

Brahma Chellaney, a well-known strategic affairs expert, felt that Hamas' recent attack is unparalleled in history as there has never been an attack of this kind previously.

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"Hamas' attack is a wake-up call for all countries fighting terrorism, including India. India has lessons to learn from the Hamas operation," he opined. He also criticised China for not condemning the invasion in the early hours of Saturday (October 7).

He did not expect more nations to get involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. But, he saw Iran's role in abetting Hamas coming under international scrutiny. The Wall Street Journal has reported how Iran’s infamous Quads force planned this invasion since August, 2023, in collaboration with Hamas in Lebanon.

As a relief for India, there has been no Indian casualties till now, the Israeli government representative has confirmed.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Oct 10, 2023 7:30 PM IST