Hamas denies misquoted remarks attributed to Mousa Abu Marzouk by The New York Times regarding the October 7 operation.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, refuted statements ascribed to Mousa Abu Marzouk by The New York Times, labeling them as “incorrect and taken out of context.”
Hamas’ spokesman, Hazem Qassem, stated that remarks attributed to Abu Marzouk do not reflect the movement’s official stance. Qassem described the events of October 7, 2023, as a strategic turning point in the Palestinian national struggle.
🟢 HAMAS SPOKESPERSON HAZEM QASSEM:
📌We hold onto our resistance weapon as a legitimate right, and what was attributed to Musa Abu Marzouk does not represent the movement’s stance.
📌The occupation’s aggressive and destructive behavior is the cause of destruction in Gaza and… pic.twitter.com/sgnnl9Tbr5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 24, 2025
Hamas clarified that Abu Marzouk, a member of its political bureau, emphasized during the interview that “the blessed October 7 operation is an expression of our people’s right to resist and their rejection of the siege, occupation, and settlement.”
He also highlighted in a statement that “the criminal occupation is responsible for war crimes and genocide committed against our people in the Gaza Strip, which violate international laws and have shocked the entire world.”
The New York Times alleged on Monday that Abu Marzouk had renounced the October 7 operation in southern Israel.
Without quoting him directly but largely paraphrasing Abu Marzouk’s comments, the Times reported that “he would not have supported the attack if he had known of the havoc it would wreak on Gaza.”
“If it was expected that what happened would happen, there wouldn’t have been Oct. 7,” the top Hamas official said, according to the report.
The interview transcript also indicates that Abu Marzouk “was not informed about the specific plans for the Oct. 7 attack.” However, he is cited as saying that “he and other Hamas political leaders had endorsed its overall strategy of attacking Israel militarily.”
Between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2025, Israel’s actions in Gaza resulted in over 160,000 Palestinian casualties, including many women and children, and more than 14,000 individuals reported missing.
(PC, AJA)
