Hamas executive’s “We can attack the U.S. with North Korea” comment sparks controversy

Ali Barake, a senior Hamas official, mentioned the possibility of attacking the U.S. with North Korea. ⓒ Yonhap News

A senior official of Hamas, a Palestinian armed terrorist group, has once again brought up the ‘Hamas-North Korea connection’, causing a stir.

According to the Israeli media, Times of Israel, Ali Barake, a senior Hamas official, stated on the 5th (local time) that they could potentially attack the U.S. with North Korea. Barake, who resides in the Beirut region of Lebanon, told local media Spotschat, “We are allies with North Korea,” and “All enemies of the U.S., or countries that show hostility, are approaching us.”

He added, “We and North Korea, Russia, etc., are in contact on a daily basis,” and “We also maintain close relations with Chinese officials. A Hamas delegation will soon visit Moscow, Russia, and Beijing, China.”

Barake highly praised North Korea’s military power. He argued that while Iran and other Middle Eastern countries have difficulty attacking the U.S. due to their military technology and location, North Korea is well-equipped for such conditions. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported, “Barake has mentioned North Korea’s involvement in the war several times,” and “The word ‘alliance’ frequently appears in his remarks about North Korea.”

Barake claimed, “North Korea has enough technology and will to do so (attack the U.S. mainland),” and “They have intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that were developed years ago, and they have been under economic sanctions from the U.S. for a long time.”

During Hamas’s surprise attack last month on the 7th, some military experts claimed that Hamas used weapons from North Korea. The power blogger ‘War Noir’, who specializes in war weapon content, posted a photo saying, “A Hamas member is holding what appears to be a North Korean-made grenade launcher,” and many experts agreed, adding credibility to the claim.

On the 26th of last month, the Israeli military showed weapons seized from Hamas members, claiming, “About 10% are believed to have come from North Korea.” On that day, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said, “The North Korean weapons are grenade launchers, and they came from the bodies of Hamas members who attacked Israel on the 7th.”