In a revealing interview on Al-Jazeera on August 2, 2025, Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad openly acknowledged what many pro-Israel observers have long suspected: the October 7 massacre was not merely an act of terror, but a calculated strategic operation designed to delegitimize Israel internationally and advance Palestinian statehood recognition through violence.
Hamad’s comments exemplify the broader Palestinian narrative that seeks to justify the October 7 atrocities by placing them within what he calls their proper historical “context.” Like many pro-Palestinian voices who defended the massacre in its immediate aftermath, Hamad argued that the world’s focus on October 7 misses the larger picture.
“The Palestinians are not doing anything illegal. We are fighting for our freedom. We are not terrorists and we are not using any terrorist methods. We have a right to fight. Even October 7… The world thinks that history has stopped on October 7. No! History started in 1948,” Hamad declared, employing the familiar refrain that violence against Israeli civilians should be understood as legitimate resistance within the broader conflict’s timeline.
This represents the same moral framework used by October 7 apologists worldwide – that the deliberate targeting of civilians, including children, elderly, and others at a music festival, should be viewed not as terrorism but as justified military action when placed in “proper context.”
Perhaps most significantly for Israeli security concerns, Hamad explicitly described the conflict as involving all Palestinians, not just those in Gaza. His comments reveal Hamas’s view of Palestinians throughout Judea and Samaria as active participants in an ongoing war against Israel.
“I’m not talking just about [Hamas], but about all Palestinians, and all members of the Palestinian factions, who bore arms, fought, waged Jihad, were martyred, and irrigated the soil with their blood,” Hamad stated, making clear that Hamas sees the conflict as a comprehensive effort involving Palestinians across all territories.
He emphasized that weapons remain central to the Palestinian cause: “The weapons constitute the Palestinian cause. Our weapons equal our cause. We have been raised since childhood… The [weapons] have always been our main force in confronting the occupation.” This weaponization mindset, according to Hamad, extends beyond Gaza to encompass all Palestinian communities.
The Hamas official was explicit about their refusal to disarm: “We, as Palestinians, will not surrender our weapons. They need to understand this. Not even a blank round… Israel can only dream that we will ever surrender our weapons to it.”
Hamad proudly outlined what he considers the three major “achievements” of October 7, revealing how Hamas views international anti-Israel sentiment and rising antisemitism as strategic victories.
The first achievement, according to Hamad, was forcing international recognition of Palestinian statehood: “Why are all these countries recognizing Palestine now? Had any country dared to recognize the state of Palestine, prior to October 7? The overall outcome of October 7 forced the world to open its eyes to the Palestinian cause.”
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