For months, Hamas leaders have defended the army group’s resolution to launch the assault on October 7, 2023 towards Israel, though it ignited a devastating Israeli offensive, which killed tens of 1000’s of Palestinians in Gaza and diminished the territory for rubble.
Hamas has introduced a “victory” over Israel, and a few of its staff have promised that their fighters will perform extra assaults in October 7 sooner or later.
However now one among Hamas’s senior officers is publicly reserves in regards to the assault, which has additionally affected a humanitarian disaster, which has displaced almost two million and has led to a crucial scarcity of meals and well being care.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a Qatar -based head of Hamas’s exterior relations workplace, mentioned in an interview with The New York Instances that he wouldn’t help the assault if he knew in regards to the chaos he can be grinded. Realizing the implications, he mentioned, would make “inconceivable” for him to help the assault.
G -n. Abu Marzuk has said The truth that he was not knowledgeable of the particular plans for the assault on October 7, with roughly 1,200 folks killed and about 250 took hostage, however that he and different Hamas political leaders have accredited their total Israeli assault technique Army.
“If it was anticipated that what occurred would occur, it might not be on October 7,” he mentioned.
He additionally recommended that in Hamas he was prepared to barter the way forward for the Gaza group’s weapons – which was a second in negotiations with Israel – taking a place that different Hamas officers had rejected. Compromination might help Hamas and Israel keep away from the renewal of battle, analysts say. Israel mentioned he wished Hamas to dismantle his army capabilities.
G -n -Abu Marzuk, 74, the primary chief of Hamas’s political workplace within the Nineties, made the remarks in a phone interview on Friday.
It’s unclear to what extent the views of G -N -Abu Marzuk are shared on October 7 by different Hamas leaders, or in the event that they have been an try to affect the negotiations with Israel or put stress on fellow leaders inside the belligerent group. Different Hamas leaders, particularly these associated to Iran and the Lebanese army group, Hezbollah, have a tendency to just accept a harder line.
His feedback counsel that there are variations between Hamas staff on the get together line on October 7 and its penalties. In addition they present that the Palestinian frustrations in Gaza, who say the assault made them stand up to extraordinary struggling, have some influence in Hamas’s management.
The feedback of G -N -Abu Marzuk have been just like these made by Hassan Nasrala, the chief of Hezbollah, after the 2006 battle between Israel and Hezbollah. The dimensions of destruction on this battle introduced Mr. Nasrala sure retreat The truth that his group wouldn’t abduct and kill a number of Israeli troopers on the time if he knew it might trigger such a powerful reply.
Within the coming days, Israel and Hamas are anticipated to begin a dialogue in regards to the second part of the cessation of fireside in Gaza, which requires the fixed finish of the combating, the entire withdrawal of Israel and the discharge of extra Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. However the delays within the launch of those conversations, mixed with disputes concerning the implementation of the primary part, have intensified fears that the truce can crumble and the battle will be restarted.
D -Abu Marzuk, who spent years dwelling in the US, has lengthy been seen as one of many extra pragmatic figures in Hamas. The battle has imposed a heavy worth on his household, along with his 77-year-old brother Youssef killed within the combating.
“He isn’t a nihilist,” mentioned Stanley Cohen, a lawyer and longtime pal of G -N -Abu Marzuk with headquarters in New York. “He is not going to help any actions that he thinks will convey unprecedented, revenge on wholesale from anybody to folks.”
G -N -Abu Marzuk mentioned that Hamas’s survival within the battle towards Israel in itself was a “type of victory”. He additionally likens the Hamas to a mean man who’s combating Mike Tyson, the previous heavyweight boxing champion: if the untrained novice survives the blows of Mr. Tyson, folks would say he received, he mentioned.
In absolute phrases, he mentioned it might be “unacceptable” to say that Hamas had received, particularly given the size of what Israel triggered Gaza.
“We’re speaking a few get together that misplaced management of himself and avenges towards every thing,” he mentioned, referring to Israel. “This isn’t a victory below any circumstances.”
The Israeli army claims that it has been conducting its air and floor campaigns in Gaza in accordance with worldwide regulation and that he’s attacking Hamas, which the US and different international locations have recognized a terrorist group. However authorized specialists have accused Israel of utilizing power in a approach that led to the loss of life of too many civilians.
G -N -Abu Marzuk additionally recommended that he had some openness in Hamas’s management to barter the way forward for the Gaza group’s weapons, a thorny query, which different Hamas officers mentioned they have been out of bounds.
“We’re prepared to speak about each query,” he mentioned when he requested him in regards to the weapons. “Each downside that’s positioned on the desk ought to discuss it.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Israel insisted that his nation wouldn’t finish the battle with Hamas with out dismantling the group’s ruling and army capabilities. Whereas Hamas expressed their willingness to offer strategy to the Gaza Civil Administration, he refused to desert his weapons.
The remarks of G -N -Abu Marzuk appeared contradictory to these of Osama Hamdan, one other Hamas worker who mentioned at a convention in Doha, Qatar, in the midst of this month, that “weapons of resistance” weren’t for dialogue as if exclude a compromise off.
Requested in regards to the statements of G -n Hamdan, G -N -Abu Marzuk mentioned that no chief may decide the agenda alone.
Ibrahim Madhun, an analyst near Hamas, mentioned the group had many views on vital points, however when his establishments determined, everybody stood behind him.
For the reason that first time, it entered into power of the cessation of fireside on January 19, Hamas fighters have flawed across the fuel with rifles, sending a message to Israel, the worldwide group and the Palestinians that the group continues to be managed.
G -N Abu Marzuk declined to reply particular questions in regards to the attainable compromises on Hamas’s weapons. These compromises could embody the storage of their weapons in internationally managed amenities, agreeing to refuse to revive its tunnel community and the rocket arsenal, or to droop the recruitment of fighters. Disarmament, the specialists say, it’s unlikely.
As talks throughout the second part of fireside termination are being held, Israeli and US officers are more and more speaking about extending the primary part.
By issuing a number of extra hostages and prisoners throughout the prolongation of the primary part, added G -n -Abu Marzuk, will be mentioned. However he defined that in all circumstances, Hamas would require many extra prisoners in alternate for every hostage, because the group considers the opposite Israeli hostages to be troopers. He talked about 500 and 1000 prisoners as attainable numbers for every hostage.
Within the first part, a whole bunch of Palestinian prisoners have been launched, however the variety of prisoners launched hostages normally didn’t exceed 50.
G -n -Abu Marzuk mentioned Hamas can be open to all hostages on the identical time if Israel is able to launch the 1000’s of Palestinians in his prisons, finish the battle and withdraw from Gaza.
“We’re able to have a whole deal,” he mentioned.
Israeli officers rejected proposals to alternate all hostages to all prisoners.
Abu Bakr Bashir contributed to reporting this text.
