Hamas Leader Abroad Rejects Accusations of Transgressions against Civilians on October 7 Attack

Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashal discussed the October 7 attack on southern Israel in an October 19, 2023 interview on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia). He said that the attack was kept under wraps in order to surprise the enemy and all the intelligence agencies in the world and that it was carried out “in the context of legitimate resistance.” In light of the atrocities perpetrated against Israeli civilians, Al-Arabiya’s Rasha Nabil asked Mashal if treating civilians this way is part of Hamas’s ideology and if he will apologize for the events of October 7. Mashal responded that Hamas only focuses on fighting soldiers, any accusations of misdeeds are “fabrications” by Netanyahu, and that in any war there are some civilian victims, but Hamas is not responsible for them. He said that while the clashes in southern Lebanon are a good thing, “greater things are needed.” Mashal called on Hizbullah, Egypt, and other Arab countries to join in the fighting against Israel. When asked by Rasha Nabil about the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Mashal responded that they are not hostages but prisoners. He said that Israel released over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and now Hamas holds dozens of Israeli soldiers and officers as prisoners, so all the thousands of prisoners held by Israel, from every faction, will be released.