Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

NATO-Supplied Ukrainian Arms Used in Israel, Will Spread Further: Russian Security Council

17:20, 9 October 2023

Muhammad Nooh Osman

Writer/Editor

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On Saturday morning, Israel experienced an extraordinary rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army press office reported that over 3,000 rockets were fired. In addition, a significant number of Hamas fighters managed to infiltrate Israel's southern border areas, killing and capturing dozens of Israeli soldiers.

Sputnik

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, stated that weapons NATO supplied to Ukraine, have found their way into the hands of Hamas militants, who are actively using them against Israel, NATO's biggest ally in the Middle East.

In a statement posted on Telegram on Monday, Medvedev said NATO's support for the "neo-Nazi regime" in Kiev has contributed to the escalation of violence in the Middle East.

"Well, NATO friends, have you had enough? The weapons you gave to the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine are being actively used in Israel. In the future, like the weapons left behind by fleeing Americans in Afghanistan, they will be used uncontrollably in all hot spots," he wrote.

According Medvedev, the Ukrainian authorities are corrupt and have been selling NATO-supplied weapons to anyone who can pay. He warned that missiles, tanks, and possibly even aircraft from Kiev could end up on the black market and be used by terrorists and rogue states.

"It will only get worse. Look for missiles, tanks, and possibly even aircraft from Kiev on the black market," he added.

Medvedev's comments came after Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. The Israeli army said more than 3,000 rockets were fired. In addition, dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated border areas in southern Israel, killing and capturing dozens of Israeli soldiers and officers.

The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, announced the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation against Israel on Saturday. In response, the IDF announced the launch of Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since then, the death toll on both sides of the confrontation has reportedly exceeded one thousand.

Israel-Palestine Escalation

Hamas May Be Using US Weapons from Afghanistan or Ukraine: House Rep

9 October 2023, 01:57

Since the recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, questions have been raised about the origin of the weapons used by Hamas amid massive NATO military aid to Ukraine during its ongoing conflict with Russia. Several experts and officials have weighed in on the issue.

Hamas alone did not have the means to carry out such an attack against Israel and had to receive weapons from outside, Imad Salamey, a professor at the Lebanese American University, told Sputnik.

"Obviously, we've heard a lot about corruption within the Ukrainian military, as well as weapons being sold elsewhere. Given how the weapons have been transferred, it's quite possible," Salamey said.

Yan Gagin, aide to the head of the Donetsk Republic, claimed that the NATO weapons received by Kiev were sold "in quite large quantities" by the Ukrainian authorities.

"It is worth noting that, ironically, it was Israel, together with its NATO colleagues, who recently transferred various types of weapons to Ukraine, which were also resold by Ukrainian military personnel and military officials [...] in quite large quantities. And now, ironically, Israeli soldiers are shot at with their own weapons and weapons that were once transferred to Ukraine from NATO," Gagin told Sputnik Africa.

Israel-Palestine Escalation

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Meanwhile, US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed that it is possible that US weapons have ended up in the hands of Hamas through both Ukraine and Afghanistan, suggesting that Washington should work in cooperation with the authorities in Tel Aviv to identify the origin of the weapons used by Hamas.

"We need to work with Israel to track serial numbers on any US weapons used by Hamas against Israel. Did they come from Afghanistan? Did they come from Ukraine? Highly likely the answer is both," Greene said.