A former British army officer compared Hamas’s intentions to those of al-Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attacks, saying Hamas sought to draw Israel into the conflict and isolate it from international support.

In an interview with Sky News, Justin Crump, now a senior management adviser at the Foreign Office, also said Israel’s denial of involvement in the hospital bombing was based on substantial evidence and their story “makes a lot of sense”.

He says of the Hama attack that “it’s very similar to 9/11, 2001, Israel’s 9/11… and Israel could lose this war very quickly if it doesn’t think about it smartly.”

“Hamas did not just seek to punish Israel. They wanted to draw Israel into the conflict … that’s what they wanted,” Crump said.

He added that Israel’s goal is “not just to destroy Hamas, but to prevent similar conflicts in the future.”

Crump emphasized the need for Israel to adopt a multifaceted strategy, taking into account both military and humanitarian aspects.

“The army alone cannot win a war against a terrorist organization. A comprehensive approach is needed to solve the problem,” he concluded.