Hamas official says October 7th wouldn’t have happened had he known the outcome

Marzouk’s admission of regret does not reflect the views of all Hamas leaders, signaling a division within the terrorist organization.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said that had he known the outcome of the October 7th attack — specifically the destruction in Gaza — the terror group would not have launched the invasion of Israel.

His admission of regret does not reflect the views of all Hamas leaders, signaling a division within the terrorist organization.

Marzouk, head of Hamas’s foreign relations office, told The New York Times that it would have been “impossible” for him to support the plans for October 7th had he been aware of the consequences of Israel’s military response.

Although unaware of the specific details of the attack, Marzouk supported Hamas’s general military strategy. He stated, “Had the consequences of the attack been foreseen, October 7th would not have occurred.”

Other Hamas officials have declared “victory” in the Gaza war, despite the destruction of crucial Hamas infrastructure and the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza, with at least half of the casualties being members of the terrorist group.

Marzouk has indicated he is open to negotiations concerning Hamas’s military presence. “We are ready to discuss any issue,” he told the Times.

Marzouk’s views contrast with those of Hamas leaders like Osama Hamdan, who has rejected any compromise on Hamas’s military control over the Gaza Strip.

Marzouk said he would consider a “comprehensive deal” to release all hostages if Israel agreed to release thousands of Palestinians from prisons, withdrew from Gaza, and ended the war.

It remains unclear whether Marzouk’s views represent an outlier within Hamas or signal a shift in the group’s overall policy.

Last week, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Qatar-based Al Araby TV that the terror group was prepared to discuss the implementation of Phase Two of the agreement.

Hamdan said the group would abide by the agreement: “If Israel meets its commitments, we will proceed with releasing the hostages as agreed on Saturday or in the coming days.”