Hamas releases new Oct. 7 narrative propaganda two years after massacre

An earlier text circulated widely online and in printed form was reported to have appeared on college campuses in the United States and Europe, including at student protests and forums.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hamas on Wednesday released a new propaganda document presenting its version of the Oct. 7 massacre, two years after the attack, framing the assault as a historic turning point rather than a mass terror operation against Israeli civilians.

The 42-page text, titled “Our Narrative… Al-Aqsa Flood: Two Years of Steadfastness and the Will for Liberation,” portrays Oct. 7 as what Hamas calls a defining moment in Palestinian history. The organization continues to refer to the massacre as “Al-Aqsa Flood,” a term it has used consistently since the attack.

According to the document, the events of Oct. 7 are described as extending beyond a military action, with Hamas presenting ideological, political, and historical justifications for the assault.

The publication is divided into eight chapters, which Hamas says address the motivations leading up to the attack, a detailed account of the day itself, and what it describes as an internal examination of the operation.

Additional sections focus on developments in the Israel-Hamas war since Oct. 7, including Hamas’ conduct during the fighting and what it characterizes as its diplomatic activity. The document also outlines what Hamas defines as priorities for the current phase of the war.

The publication reiterates longstanding political demands, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of Palestinian refugees. These positions mirror Hamas’s previous public statements and platforms.

The release follows an earlier document issued by Hamas in early 2024, titled “Our Narrative: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” which similarly presented the group’s account of the massacre and the ensuing war.

That earlier text circulated widely online and in printed form and was reported to have appeared on college campuses in the United States and Europe, including at student protests and forums.

Critics of the previous document said it disputed or omitted well-documented accounts of attacks on Israeli civilians and reframed the violence through ideological and political language.

In the newly released document, Hamas again avoids addressing specific allegations related to the killing of civilians, sexual violence, or the taking of hostages during the Oct. 7 massacre, leaving those widely documented claims unacknowledged.