The Palestinian group Hamas has released a report detailing their perspective on the assault on southern Israel on October 7. In the 16-page report titled “Our Narrative”, Hamas admitted to “faults” in the attack but claimed that their fighters only targeted Israeli soldiers and individuals carrying weapons.
The report, the first public statement from Hamas since the attack, aimed to clarify the background and dynamics of the operation, which it called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Hamas maintained that the assault was a necessary response to Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people.
Hamas stated that the goal of the attack was to target Israeli military sites and capture soldiers to pressure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The group emphasized that avoiding harm to civilians is a moral commitment for its fighters, and any harm to civilians was accidental.
The report also addressed the Israeli response to the attack, including the devastating bombardment of Gaza, which killed numerous civilians. Hamas accused Israel of committing war crimes in its assault on Gaza.
Hamas also highlighted the issues of post-war Gaza, reaffirming the Palestinian people’s right to decide their own future and arrange their internal affairs.
The report listed several reasons for the attack, including Israel’s construction of settlements and the killing of Palestinian civilians over the years. The report emphasized the Palestinian people’s ability to decide their own future and criticized outside parties for attempting to dictate their fate.