Hamas Leader Regrets October 7 Attack Consequences

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a leading figure in Hamas, has expressed regret over the October 7 attack, stating he would have opposed it had he been aware of its catastrophic impact on the Palestinian territory.

For months, the leadership of Hamas has staunchly defended the decision to execute the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which triggered a fierce Israeli military response, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and extensive destruction throughout Gaza. While Hamas has publicly claimed "victory" over Israel, with some officials advocating for similar operations in the future, a recent statement from one of its prominent leaders reveals emerging dissent.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas’s foreign relations office based in Qatar, conveyed serious reservations in a recent interview with The New York Times. He expressed that had he truly understood the far-reaching consequences of the attack prior to its execution, he would have categorically rejected it. "Knowing of the consequences," he stated, "would have made it 'impossible' for me to back the assault."

While acknowledging that he was not privy to the detailed plans for the October 7 operation—which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities and approximately 250 hostages—Abu Marzouk clarified that he and other political leaders had endorsed the broader strategy of military engagement with Israel. He opined, "If it was expected that what happened would happen, there wouldn’t have been October 7,” indicating a disconnect between the strategic intentions of Hamas leadership and the devastating realities that followed.