Media review: Why did Hamas attack?

Aljazeera and other regional and global media outlets reported that Hamas released an official document a answering the question about its motivation behind the events of October 7. 

The document tilted, “This is our narrative... Why the Al-Aqsa Flood?”, explaining the motives and outcomes of its "Operation al-Aqsa Flood".

In a 16-page report published on Sunday, Hamas, said it wanted to “clarify” the background and dynamics of the surprise attack it calls Operation al-Aqsa Flood. In the document Hamas admits admits to ‘some faults’ but said the attack was a ‘necessary step’  

Hamas explained in the memorandum that the events of October 7, 2023 must be placed in their broader context, urging the recalling of instances of liberation struggle in the world in contemporary history.

 Hamas affirmed that it's a movement for a national liberation struggle with legitimate goals, and that it “derives its legitimacy in resisting the occupation from the right of its people to defend themselves.” The movement stressed that “resisting the occupation by all means, including armed resistance, is a legitimate right guaranteed by laws and religions and approved by international laws.”

Hamas explained that the “Al-Aqsa Flood” was a necessary step and a natural response to confront the hatched plans aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, just as it was to confront “Israel’s” plans on the land, Judaize it, and resolve sovereignty over al-Aqsa Mosque.

 Hamas added that the "Al-Aqsa Flood" was necessary in order to end the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip, and a natural step towards achieving independence and freedom like other peoples of the free world, and the right to self-determination, in addition to establishing the independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital.

  “al-Aqsa flood” also came as a natural step within the framework of getting rid of the Israeli occupation, which practically “destroyed the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state through the fierce campaign to double settlement and Judaization in the West Bank,” Hamas explained.

 The battle with the occupation is more than a century old

In the memorandum, Hamas Movement (as it is called in the region) returned to the history of occupied Palestine, stating that the battle of the Palestinian people with the occupation did not begin on October 7, the day the “al-Aqsa Flood” began, but rather “105 years before that.”

 In this context, the Movement pointed out that the Palestinian people lived 30 years under British colonialism, and 75 years of Israeli occupation, while the Gaza Strip suffered a stifling siege for more than 17 years, turning into the largest open prison in the world, and five devastating wars, with Israel killing a disproportionate number of civilian Palestinians in each of them.

While Hamas affirmed that the Palestinian people have suffered for decades from all forms of oppression, injustice, confiscation of basic rights, and apartheid policies, it pointed out that from 2000 until September 2023, the occupation killed 11,299 Palestinians and wounded 156,768 others, the majority of whom were civilians.

 In the face of all this, Hamas asked: “Were our people required to continue waiting and betting on the United Nations and its helpless institutions?”

The October 7 attack targeted Israeli military sites

Regarding Hamas’ goals on October 7, the Movement confirmed that “al-Aqsa Flood” targeted Israeli military sites and sought to capture the occupation soldiers and fighters, in order to release the Palestinian prisoners.

 Hamas stressed that the attack focused on the Israeli military division of Gaza and Israeli sites in the “Gaza envelope” settlements, where “targeting civilians was avoided, especially women, children, and the elderly,” as this was considered a “religious and moral obligation upon which the sons of Hamas are raised.”

Hamas also affirmed that its “resistance is disciplined by the controls and instructions of our true Islamic religion, and its military wing targets the occupation soldiers and those who carry weapons against our people,” pointing out that “we dealt positively with the issue of civilians who were captured in the Gaza Strip, and we sought from day one to release them as quickly as possible.”

In this regard, the Movement stressed that what the occupation is promoting about “al-Qassam” targeting Israeli civilians in the October 7 attack “is pure slander and a lie,” as its fighters did not target “civilians,” but many of them were “killed by the Israeli police and army forces because of their confusion.”

 It was also the Israeli raids that “caused the killing of a large number of Israelis who were captured on October 7,” according to what Hamas continued, while numbers of armed settlers clashed with members of the resistance factions on October 7, and “those of them who were killed were recorded by the occupation as civilians.”

 While the occupation deliberately promoted lies that “the Qassam Brigades beheaded 40 infants,” Hamas pointed out that “this claim has been proven with certainty to be false, and the Israeli sources admit it.” The claim that “resistance fighters raped Israeli women has also been proven false,” which is what “Hamas categorically denied it.”

 As for the Gaza Strip, where Israelis were also killed by “their army” fire, the bombing and destruction operations demonstrated the occupation’s indifference to the lives of its prisoners, and its willingness to sacrifice them,” the Movement added in the memorandum.

 Hamas added that “fair investigations will confirm our story and the lies of the occupation’s allegations.”

 In addition to the above, Hamas called on “major countries, especially the United States, Germany, Canada, and Britain, to declare their support for the investigation into crimes committed in Palestine,” and the International Criminal Court to “come urgently and immediately to occupied Palestine, in order to investigate crimes and violations.”

 

The Movement continued by affirming that the peoples of the region and the world “are aware of the extent of the lies and deceit of the governments supporting the aggression, and their endeavor to search for justifications in order to justify their bias towards the occupation,” while noting that these countries “do not want to acknowledge that the root of the problem and the origin of the crisis is the existence of the occupation and its confiscation of the rights of our people to live freely.”

Hamas called for "legally punishing the Israeli occupation for its occupation, and all the suffering, victims and losses that resulted from it," and "supporting the resistance against the Israeli occupation by all available means, as it is a legitimate right."

 Hamas addressed the countries of the free world, especially the countries of the Global South, calling on them to “take a serious stance against the double standards of the forces supporting the occupation,” stressing that the major powers must “stop providing cover for the Zionist entity.”

 Hamas also called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, an end to the crimes and genocide committed by the occupation, an end to the siege, and a serious effort to force the occupation to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

 Hamas also urged "to stand against attempts to displace Palestinians inside, and to prevent a new catastrophe upon them, so there is no displacement of Palestinians, forcing them to move into Sinai, Jordan, or any place."

 It also called for the rejection of any international and Israeli projects “that seek to determine the future of the Gaza Strip, in a way that is consistent with the standards of the occupation and ensures its continuation,” stressing that the Palestinian people have the ability and competence to decide their future for themselves and arrange their internal home with their decision, and no one may impose guardianship over them.

The English Text Document:

 The Arabic text of the document: