‘Taken Out of Context’: Hamas Backtracks on Senior Official’s Statements Regretting Consequences of 2023 Assault on Israel

Latest Developments

Hamas Rejects Official’s Statements Lamenting October 7 Consequences: Senior Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk seemingly expressed regret for the consequences of the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023, atrocities in Israel during a February 24 interview with The New York Times. “If it was expected that what happened would happen” in Gaza following the attacks, “there wouldn’t have been October 7,” Marzouk said. Hamas released a statement on Telegram after the publication of Marzouk’s interview saying that the Hamas official’s words were “incorrect” and “taken out of context.” The Iran-backed group reaffirmed its staunch support for the October 7 mass assault, adding that “the blessed October 7 operation is an expression of our people’s right to resistance.”
Hamas Official Deflects Questions of Disarmament: Abu Marzouk also deflected questions about Hamas’s willingness to lay down its weapons during the interview despite the looming prospect of negotiations for phase two of the ongoing ceasefire, which would involve the IDF’s complete withdrawal from Gaza and has therefore heightened security concerns in Israel. When asked about the group disarming, Abu Marzouk said that Hamas is “ready to speak about every issue” but would not elaborate further. Fellow Hamas member Osama Hamdan February 15 rejected any notion that the organization would disarm, saying that the “issue of the resistance weapons” is “not up for debate.”
Qatar Remains Base for Some Hamas Officials: Qatar, an emirate that has provided Hamas with hundreds of millions of dollars, continues to host terrorists from the organization despite reports in November 2024 that the Hamas officials were set to be expelled from the country. Abu Marzouk gave his interview with the Times over the phone from Doha, where he is based, and Hamdan’s comments were also delivered in the Qatari capital at an event hosted by the state-owned Al Jazeera broadcaster.

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas has consistently demonstrated that its primary objective is self-preservation. As a result, while the group may claim to consider disarmament and may feign regret over the devastation caused by the war, it is unlikely to accept any plan that could undermine its control over Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The word ‘Qatar’ appears only twice in the New York Times exclusive, but its mention shouldn’t be overlooked. Abu Marzouk and a majority of Hamas’s politburo have been living in luxury inside Qatar for over a decade. Reports estimate that Marzouk himself is worth some $3 billion. Qatar provides Marzouk and company a cushy oasis from which to spread talking points that craft an air of moderation, if not legitimacy, around Hamas. That’s not a service a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States should be providing.” — Natalie Ecanow, Senior Research Analyst