Vilan: Gratitude to Serbia for the support; we are at war with Hamas, not with the Palestinian people

Israel has changed since October 7th. The situation in the region has changed, and things cannot remain the same. I believe that no one doubts Israel's right to defend its people, to go after those behind this and make them pay, and believe me, we will make them pay, Israel's Ambassador in Belgrade, Jahel Vilan, says in an interview with Kosovo Online.

"We are in a war that Hamas has initiated against us. On Saturday, in just a few hours, 1,300 Israelis were killed, and massacred, entire families were killed, and now we are burying our people. This is the worst attack on Israel ever. We have been in wars before, and they were not easy, but we have never had such a vile, barbaric attack on civilians who had no connection to military operations against anyone. Now, of course, we are in a counteroffensive, and I believe that no one doubts Israel's right to defend its people, to go after those behind this and make them pay, and believe me, we will make them pay," Ambassador Vilan said at the beginning of the interview.

Will Israel now pursue Hamas members worldwide, as the US did with ISIS?

Israel is not the US, but I believe we will pursue Hamas in Gaza, where they are located. And I hope that later, with the support of other countries and the international community, we will also go after those who support and finance them. First, we need to break Hamas in Gaza. That's what the people of Israel expect from the government after the events on Saturday, and we will do it.

Many experts are now saying that the situation, or the circumstances regarding Gaza, must change?

I agree. At this moment, I don't know how it will change, but you need to understand, first and foremost - this strange coexistence cannot exist anymore. We shouldn't be surprised, tactically we have been, and we will talk about it, but in the end, they were waiting for the right opportunity for something like this. Hamas's tactic is indeed the destruction of the State of Israel, and those are not just words. We have somehow grown used to having terrorist attacks from time to time, they shoot at us, we respond from the air, and that's it, and we can live with that. Since Saturday, that assumption has forever changed. This cannot continue; Israel must change the situation in Gaza by 180 degrees.

How do you comment on President Biden's warning to Iran?

We have heard and greatly appreciate what we heard from President Biden, who, in his words, pointed out that those who thought this was a weak moment for Israel and that they should act now should think again. He did not threaten anyone. We clearly state that we have no interest in opening new fronts with Lebanon, Syria, or Iran. Right now, we are dealing with those who have brutally attacked us, and that is Hamas.

Gaza has been left without electricity and water, Egypt has not opened a corridor for refugees, and the whole world fears a major humanitarian catastrophe. How do you view this?

Well, you're asking me, and you mentioned that Egypt refuses to open the corridor. I'm not sure anyone asked the British why they weren't supporting those people with water and other supplies when they were fighting the Nazis. Israel left Gaza in 2006, and it can no longer be called an occupied territory. They have a route to Egypt where they can take what they want. You know, once again, we endured these horrors, and then someone expects you to provide them with everything, that is strange. Our Government is acting rationally, but once again, we are not at war with the people of Palestine and the Palestinians in Gaza. We are not targeting innocent civilians; we are going after Hamas. We want to break their infrastructure, and the humanitarian situation will have to be resolved not only by Israel, Egypt has a role to play and will need to step up. We are trying to avoid civilian casualties, even those who were rejoicing and playing on the rooftops in support of the animals that killed civilians.

People from all over the world are returning to Israel to join the military. Are there such cases when it comes to Serbia?

I'm sure there are. People are doing this because Israel has changed since Saturday. I can tell you from my own experience, that there is not a single person who did not personally know someone among the civilians or soldiers who were killed. This is not something we have seen before; it's not just another operation, and Israelis are returning to their homeland to protect it.

What happened in Israel, does it show that conflicts can now erupt anywhere in the world, including the Balkans? Is this a warning to everyone?

In a way, yes, but I think once again, I'll talk about us, we've somewhat made a mistake. We thought the economy was good, we have a great life, an occasional terrorist attack, and we can live with that. This was a wake-up call for us because if you have enemies in Gaza and Lebanon who openly call for your destruction, they're not doing it for fun. Hamas receives billions of dollars, and they invest them only in tunnels, rockets, guns... I believe this was a very strong wake-up call for the international community. There is no direct connection between the growing war zones that are being activated worldwide, but you know, in our region, Israel's response must be very strong, not only as a message to Hamas but to other potential attackers of Israel.

How much does Serbia's support mean to you?

We are absolutely satisfied with Serbia's support. From the President, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, other ministers... Ordinary people who call and offer to open the doors of their homes, to provide financial help... We highly appreciate the support from every country, and we will need that support in the coming period. I'm getting more and more questions about when we will negotiate with those who attacked us as if nothing had happened. We will not talk to those people; they cannot be future partners. We can talk to reasonable people but not to those who want to massacre you. We want to break Hamas, and this will not be an operation lasting just a few hours or days.

How will this war end?

Again, I know what I would like. You have those who say, let's turn Gaza into Dresden, and those who say the war will be over when Hamas no longer has a military structure. The situation is complicated, let's not forget the 150 people who have been kidnapped by Hamas; every action will have implications for those poor people. What happened on October 7th changed the picture in the Middle East; it wasn't just another ordinary day, so the reaction needs to be appropriate in response to the attack.