Posted on 02/24/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
For months, Hamas leaders have defended the militant group’s decision to launch the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, despite the devastating Israeli offensive that followed, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving Gaza in ruins.
While Hamas has declared "victory" and vowed to carry out similar attacks in the future, one of its top officials is now expressing reservations. Mousa Abu Marzouk, head of Hamas’s foreign relations office in Qatar, told The New York Times that he would not have supported the attack had he known the extent of the destruction it would bring to Gaza. “If it was expected that what happened would happen, there wouldn’t have been October 7,” he said.
Abu Marzouk, 74, who was not informed of the specific plans but supported Hamas’s broader military strategy, also hinted at a willingness to negotiate the future of Hamas’s weapons in Gaza—an issue Israel has insisted must be addressed. His comments suggest internal divisions within Hamas over the attack and its consequences.
Comparisons have been drawn between his remarks and those of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who admitted after the 2006 war with Israel that he would not have provoked the conflict had he foreseen the scale of Israel’s response.
As cease-fire talks progress, Hamas and Israel are expected to negotiate terms including a permanent end to the fighting, Israel’s withdrawal, and further hostage-prisoner exchanges. Abu Marzouk signaled that Hamas is open to releasing all hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, an end to the war, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
While Israeli officials have dismissed such proposals, Abu Marzouk maintained that Hamas’s survival in the conflict was itself a form of victory. However, he acknowledged the scale of Gaza’s devastation, stating, “That is not a victory under any circumstances.”
His comments contrast with those of other Hamas officials, particularly those with close ties to Iran and Hezbollah, who have taken a harder stance. Whether his remarks reflect a broader shift within Hamas or an attempt to influence negotiations remains unclear.