Former CIA Director gives WINK News insight into Israel and Hamas conflict

Israel is sending air strikes into Gaza on Thursday while the war in the Gaza Strip claims more lives. Hamas returned fire, launching missiles into Israel. All this while people are desperate to leave the country.

The former director of the CIA, Porter Goss, who is from Sanibel, is watching what’s happening and shared his thoughts with WINK News.

Goss said he would say to any president we need an informed electorate, so Thursday night, he hopes President Joe Biden makes it clear to all Americans that in addition to the war between Israel and Hamas, there is a propaganda war going on.

Hamas started the war because of its clear mission, namely to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth, he said.

The terror group doesn’t hide its hatred for Israeli people, and it’s not just Hamas in Gaza that hates Israel. There’s Hezbollah on the West Bank and others, but why is the United States second on their hate list?

“Their whole purpose is to make life miserable for us. And they have announced many, many times. I mean, one of their rallying cries is death to Americans, of course, Death to the great Satan, all of that stuff. It’s propaganda, but they really mean it,” said Goss.

Goss served as the Director of the CIA under George W. Bush’s presidency. Goss told WINK News that’s what makes Hamas and the rest dangerous to us. He points to pro-Palestinian demonstrations in our country.

“What you’re seeing now, probably many well-intentioned people waving the Palestinian flag, who haven’t a clue what this is all about,” said Goss. “You don’t go around attacking other countries and killing innocent people.”

When asked if he was worried there would be terrorist strikes in the United States, Goss spoke in earnest.

“I believe there’s a very good potential for lone wolf, basically, lone wolf terrorist strikes,” said Goss. “That’s the way the war is being fought now, so am I worried about that? You bet I am. I got grandkids and great-grandkids, and I hope they have kids, but I hope they have an America that they can live in.”

WINK News asked how the war would end and if Israel had to take Hamas out.

“Unless you take the bad actors off of the field, the few bad actors — and they aren’t many — but you take the few bad actors, or you’re not really going to make progress on getting, what I will call, down the road to peace,” said Goss.

The President speaks to the nation at 8 p.m. on Thursday. CBS News and WINK News will have live coverage.

Importantly, 32 Americans have died in the war between Israel and Hamas with at least 11 more unaccounted for. There are also an unspecified number of Americans trapped in Gaza. Among them is a family of a Bonita Springs man.