Putin gleeful at Israel slaughter as it distracts from his Ukraine war, Hamas admits after terror strike on his BIRTHDAY

A HAMAS official has claimed that Vladimir Putin is pleased with their terror attack on Israel as it has distracted Americans from the raging war in Ukraine.

The top-ranking Hamas member also revealed that plans for the savage assault that came on the Russian president's birthday had been in the making for two years.

In a shocking interview with Arab news channel, Memri, Ali Bakara claimed that tyrant Putin is overjoyed with the brutal Hamas attack and that Russia is a country that "sympathises" with them.

Baraka revealed that following the initial attacks, the Russians had personally sent Hamas leaders messages where they were updated about the situation and the "goals of the war".

"Russia is happy that America is getting embroiled in Palestine. It alleviates the pressure on Russians in Ukraine," he said.

"One war eases the pressure in another war".

Hamas' assault against Israel came on October 8 as Putin marked his 71st birthday.

But it's thought that cowardly Putin may not live to see another birthday as experts believe the despot is nearing the end of his reign - whether by coup, suicide, regime collapse, or his failing health.

Speculation over the Russian president's health hit an all-time high amid swirling rumours of body doubles, cancer treatment, and even a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Intelligence analysts and experts have spotted changes in the leaders appearance, speech, or posture during his public appearances.

Most recently, Putin was spotted mysteriously switching his foot throughout a meeting with Kim Jong-Un, appearing shaky and restless while sitting alongside the North Korean tyrant.

Although nothing has been officially revealed about Putin's health by the Kremlin, his recent symptoms could point to a number of serious issues.

Alongside his spate of health problems, the Russian president's tyrannical rule, the Ukraine war, and his growing list of enemies are just some of the reasons analysts think his 71st birthday will be his last.

But in a shocking, and hypocritical, twist, Putin demanded that "women, children, and the elderly" be spared by Hamas - despite Russia's war crimes in Ukraine.

Since the Russian tyrant launched his "special military operation" in the now war-torn country last February, thousands of civilians - including women, children, and the elderly - have lost their lives in Putin's evil war.

Referring to Israel and Palestine, Putin said this week: "We need to strive to minimise or reduce to zero, to a minimum, civilian casualties.

"Women, children, the elderly. If men decide to fight among themselves, let them fight among themselves.

"Children, women, leave them alone. This applies to both sides."

Over 3,000 people in Israel and Gaza have been killed since the Palestinian militant group stormed the border and massacred hundreds in the surprise attack on Putin's birthday.

It was the deadliest assault in the country's 75-year history and has sparked days of bloody strikes and assaults - a twisted gift to Putin who is reveling in the chaos as America's attention is turned away from Ukraine.

It comes as the US has directed two warship strike groups armed with fighter jets and missiles to war-torn Israel as the country readies 360,000 troops to invade Gaza.

As well as the horror claims around Putin, Baraka also revealed that before the terrorist group's brutal massacre of Israelis on Saturday, "less than five leaders" knew the full details about the attack.

Baraka explained that over the last couple of years, Hamas created a "rational" image of themselves to showcase to the outside world.

They claimed to be focusing on governing in Gaza, instead of planning violent terror attacks.

But this was all part of a much wider plan to mask their intentions and discreetly organise their surprise assault on Israel that has plunged the region back into a deadly war.

"It [Hamas] did not go into any war. It did not join the Islamic Jihad in its recent battle," said the Hamas official.

"But all this was part of Hamas's strategy in preparing for this attack," the interviewer snapped back.

Baraka candidly agreed with the comment, stating the terrorist group made the outside world believe they were focused on the 2.5million Palestinians in Gaza, and had "abandoned the resistance altogether.

"All while under the table, Hamas was preparing for this big attack," he admitted with no remorse.

The Hamas senior then readily admitted that the grand plans for the sickening massacre had been coming together for two years.

After defending the organisation's storming of Israel, Baraka said the Hamas members "consider our dead to be martyrs".

He explained that Iran is Hamas' top political and financial supporter, with the country plying the group with money and weapons.

The terror organisation also revealed plans to expand the war so that Israel is left defending itself in both the North and South as rockets from Syria and Lebanon were launched into northern Israel early this week.

The war, which was ignited by the bloody and wide-ranging Hamas attack on Israel, has already claimed at least 2,400 lives on both sides.

And as the battle rages into its sixth day, Israel is preparing to flood soldiers into Haza for a full-scale invasion.

Netanyahu on Wednesday said Hamas had beheaded soldiers, raped women, shot children in the head, and burned people alive during their horror attacks on Israel.

He raged: "Every member of Hamas is a dead man".

Soldiers discovered scenes of indescribable horror in Kfar Aza - a village near the Gaza border that was ravaged by Hamas militants.

Among the dead are four Brits - with a further 13 missing.

Palestinians in Gaza spent Wednesday night in pitch darkness, surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighbourhoods as the only power station ran out of fuel and shut down on Tuesday.