Pete Hegseth says Hamas 'must be crushed:' They're trying to 'wipe Israel off the map'
Hegseth said it is critical for viewers to 'understand why this war is so important for Israel, and why Hamas must be crushed'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is on the brink of causing a full-out war after Hamas, the terrorist organization in control of the Gaza Strip, rained down rockets on Israeli civilians - leading to Israeli retaliatory strikes against the radical militant group.
The latest escalation in the region is considered to have caused the most serious bloodshed in the longstanding dispute since 2014.
The issue is one of the world’s longest and most controversial conflicts. Fox Nation's Pete Hegseth recently traveled to the region, where he spoke with residents on all sides to offer viewers a detailed history of the conflict as documented in the exclusive Fox Nation documentary, 'Battle in the Holy Land.'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hegseth told 'America Reports' on Thursday that he traveled to the Holy Land to give viewers "the context of what the state of Israel faces from Hamas and from its enemy who wants to wipe them off the map."
IDF: ROCKETS FIRED FROM LEBANON INTO ISRAEL
Addressing the recent escalation in the region, Hegseth said it is critical for viewers to "understand why this war is so important for Israel, and why Hamas must be crushed."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hegseth's comments came just hours before Lebanon fired three rockets into Israel. The launches risk further escalating the deadly conflict, as the Biden administration urges both sides to stand down.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant Lebanese group, has clashed with Israel before - including last July in a dispute over contested territory. And Palestinian militants also operate in the southern part of Lebanon.
In 2006, Hezbollah kicked off a month-long ground war with Israel after launching rocket attacks and an ambush on Israeli forces.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ISRAEL CRISIS: WHY IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND
The current fighting is the worst since 2014, according to the IDF, which said it had killed at least 14 terrorist leaders linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
To learn the full context on the centuries-long history behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sign up on Fox Nation.