Hamas, Iran Form An ‘Axis Of Evil’, Israeli Minister Says

Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran form an “axis of evil”, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday, as the army continued to pound Gaza.

Israel is waging all-out war on Hamas militants to effect permanent change and safeguard its future as a prosperous democracy, Gallant said on Friday, describing Hamas as part of an "axis of evil" with Iran.

The Iranian clerical regime has cheered and celebrated the Hamas terror attack that killed well over 1,000 Israeli civilians on October 7. According to estimates, Tehran has been providing at least $100 million annually to the Palestinian group.

Asked during a news conference with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin whether Tehran consented to the weekend Hamas onslaught from the Gaza Strip, Gallant said: "It doesn't matter ... (because) the idea is an Iranian idea."

As fighting raged into its seventh day, Gallant said Palestinian civilians "who want to save their lives" must heed Israel's warning to evacuate southward in the enclave - amid UN warnings that the humanitarian crisis there could spiral.

He declined, however, to answer a reporter's question on whether Israel - which has signaled that a ground invasion could follow its current air barrage on Gaza - would stick to the 24-hour evacuation notice it issued on Friday morning.

"This is a war for the existence of Israel as a prosperous state, as a democratic state, as homeland of the Jewish people," Gallant said.

"We are fighting for our home. We are fighting for our future," he said. "The path will be long, but ultimately I promise you we will win."