Son of Hamas: Israel needs to enter Rafah, ‘fighting for its very existence’

Mosab Yousef, the son of a Hamas founder and senior leader who later collaborated with Israel before fleeing the country, defended Israel during a debate on British journalist Piers Morgan’s popular YouTube channel on Tuesday.

Israel must carry out its long-planned military incursion into Rafah to defeat Gaza, Yousef argued during the debate that has garnered at least 750,000 views since yesterday.

The "Son of Hamas," as he is often referred to – based on the name of his best-selling memoir – also noted that Israel should not compromise its security due to temporary 'global pressure,' noting that many nations, including the U.S., have discouraged the IDF planned incursion into Rafah because it is densely-populated with refugees.

“If we don’t end Hamas and remove them from power… we are going to have many other wars. This is not Hamas’s first attempt to take hostages and use civilians for human shields…We do not need to give Hamas one more opportunity to destabilize the region and create a major war like this,” Yousef argued.

“Israel is fighting for its very existence…when there are people out there who want you to cease to exist – this is when they push you to the corner and you have no other choice but to fight.”

He also noted that Palestinians were selling themselves as the victims, even though Jews have always been historically oppressed. He pointed to the expulsion of Mizrahi Jews from Arab countries all over the Middle East following the establishment of the State of Israel as one example.

Yousef has regularly appeared in the media since Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion and terror attack on Israel's southern border communities. He shares his perspective and knowledge of the Hamas terrorist organization and the origin of its ideology.

“In the mosques, the schools, the streets, and at home, everywhere you go, there is hatred of Israel and of the Jewish people,” Yousef told Ofir Gendelman, the prime minister’s Arabic media spokesperson, during a visit to Israel in February.

“Hamas does not care about people. In effect, they are sacrificing the lives of children and non-combatants in order to achieve cheap political goals.”

“The concept of jihad must be stopped, and it must be stopped now,” he urged.

Last November, Yousef warned the international community of the consequences if Hamas survived as a military and political force in Gaza during his speech at The Mission of Israel to the United Nations.

“If Hamas is not eradicated in Gaza, we will set the model, we will give the freedom to so many radical groups around the world."

He also blasted Hamas terrorists as “savages” who perpetrated unspeakable crimes against humanity, against both Israeli and Gazan civilians.

“If Israel fails in Gaza, all of us will be next,” he emphasized.

Yousef, who is no longer in contact with his family, defected from the terrorist group in the late ‘90s and cooperated with Israel’s security services to expose and prevent several Hamas terrorist attacks.

He described his remarkable story of leaving the radical movement in his best-selling book “Son of Hamas” in 2010. He also describes why he left Islam and how he came to faith in Jesus.