Hamas can no longer pose missile threat to Israel: Reuven Azar, country’s ambassador in India

Israel has destroyed the missile factories of Hamas and sealed the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, making it very difficult for the Palestinian militant group to re-arm, the country's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar said on Oct 21.

Azar said that Israel has the right to retaliate after Iran fired nearly 200 missiles at it on Oct 1.

"What we have managed to achieve in the Gaza Strip right now is that we have defeated the terrorist army of Hamas in a way that they cannot pose a missile threat to Israel. We have destroyed their missile factories. We have sealed the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai, so it will be much more difficult to re-arm," he was quoted as saying in an interview with a national TV channel.

He said that as a rising power, India has a crucial role to play in ending the conflicts in the Middle East and Israel is looking forward to an incredible role of India in “our region.”

"India is a rising power. I was looking at the data and I saw that in the next year, when India grows by 7 %, it will grow by $260 billion... our (Israel's) economy is $600 billion. So what India has to contribute to the world is huge. It is going to be a powerhouse, a manufacturing hub, and it needs to be connected to the world. It has a lot to offer to countries in West Asia. I have seen how India is increasing its links with the UAE," he noted.

"When all this infrastructure of connectivity is set, we are going to see an incredible role of India in our region. It won't be just about merchandise, it will be about manufacturing... We depend on the goodwill of India, on the investments of India, on our cooperation with India and that role is going to increase every year." he added.

Azar said Israel is keen on peace and stability in the region but it cannot have a situation where Iran is free to attack whenever it wishes to do so.

"We have proved after the attack by Iran that we are capable of defending the skies of the Middle East from the Iranian threat, but we cannot be in a situation in which the Iranians feel free to attack us at any point. This is why the security building block has to be complemented by our retaliation," he added.

Responding to a question about reports that Israel could respond to the Iran attack before elections are held in the United States on Nov 5, he said, "The US elections are not a factor. What is a factor is that we have not only a right but a duty to retaliate. Imagine a situation in which a country like Iran is capable of threatening any country in the region without any repercussions... this is completely unacceptable."

He asserted that Israel is promoting peace all around with its peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, and nonetheless dialogue with Saudi Arabia.

Azar admitted that Israel has not been able to bring back all the hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack and remove Hamas from government.

“Israel is finding a way to distribute assistance to the population in Gaza so that Hamas cannot hold them hostage. The balance is changing in Israel's favor in its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah.” he said.