Hamas declares October 7 massacre a ‘golden moment’ for Palestinians by winning international support

A top Hamas leader said the terrorist group’s attack on Israel in October, 2023, had created a “golden moment” for Palestinian people to attract sympathy from around the world for their fight against the Jewish state.

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad, who narrowly avoided injury in Israel’s bombing raid on Qatar two weeks ago, appeared uninterested when shown video by a CNN reporter of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blaming Hamas for the war that has devastated the enclave.

“You know what is the benefit of October 7th now?” Mr Hamad said in the interview, which was broadcast Friday. “If you look to the (United Nations) General Assembly yesterday, when about 194 people opened their eyes and looked to the atrocity, to brutality of Israel and all of them, they condemned Israel.

“We waited for this moment for 77 years. I think this is a golden moment for the world to change the history.”

In the United Nations this week Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Portugal and Belgium declared they recognised the State of Palestine, a country without a single government or settled borders. They joined about 150 other countries, mostly from the developing world, that have sided with the Palestinians, diplomatically, in their war with Israel.

While the Australian Government insisted that its recognition of Palestinian statehood was predicated on Hamas being disarmed and removed from the power, it opposes further military action by Israel in Gaza because of the risk to civilians.

High price

Hamas-appointed health authorities in Gaza say 65,000 Palestinians have died in the war, which began when Hamas fighters entered Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed approximately 1200 people, most of them civilians, including Australian Galit Carbone.

While Hamas was condemned around the world for the violence, which included the execution of children, rape and sexual mutilation of young women, Mr Hamad’s comments suggest Hamas’s leaders are pleased with the diplomatic shift away from Israel since the war began.

“I know the price is high,” he said. “What is the option for the Palestinian people?”

Israeli officials say Palestinian leaders have rejected four offers since 1936 of a separate nation. The latest was in 2008 when Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected a land-for-peace offer from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr Hamad said Israel did not want to negotiate and had rejected its offer to release all hostages — an offer that required Israel to cease all fighting. Hamas, which is funded by Iran, has long advocated for the destruction of Israel.

Asked about the state of peace negotiations, Mr Hamas said “frozen”. “This is the problem with the Americans,” he said “They cannot prove they are honest and neutral mediators.”

The US is Israel’s primary ally, but President Donald Trump this week said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, a step that some right-wing Israeli politicians have called for and one that would make the creation of Palestinian state even more difficult.

‘Never surrender’

Israeli soldiers and tanks advanced this week further into Gaza City, in the centre of the strip, an area Israel says is Hamas’s last stronghold. While many residents have fled, hundreds of thousands remain in difficult conditions, according to the BBC.

Among those killed was a Hamas platoon commander, Wael Mutrieh, who was part of an attack on October 7 on a bomb shelter where 31 female soldiers were hiding, according to the Israel Defence Force. Most of the women were killed or captured.

The disarmament of Hamas is one of several conditions placed by Israel on a peace agreement. Hamas has repeatedly said it will not disarm until a Palestinian state is established, a position reiterated by Mr Hamad, who said the group’s weapons would become part of a Palestinian army.

“The (armed wing) of Hamas is a legitimate and legal weapon which is used all the time against an occupation,” he told CNN. “But you could not exclude Hamas from the Palestinian … questions and Palestinian situation, because Hamas is playing a positive role.

“We will never surrender. We will never surrender.”