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A senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk, refused to acknowledge the group’s involvement in the killing of civilians in Israel. Instead, he claimed that their attacks only targeted conscripted soldiers, exempting women, children, and civilians. The claim contradicts the substantial video evidence showing Hamas members shooting unarmed adults and children.<\/p>\n
Israel has reported that more than 1,400 people, primarily civilians, were killed by Hamas in the attacks that occurred on October 7. Marzouk, who is subject to an asset freeze in the UK under counter-terrorism regulations, spoke with the BBC from the Gulf, making him the highest-ranking member of Hamas to address the media since the October 7 attacks.<\/p>\n
During the interview, the BBC pressed Marzouk on the situation in Gaza, particularly concerning the numerous hostages held inside the territory. He explained that these hostages couldn’t be released while Israel was conducting bombings in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 10,000 people have been killed since Israel’s operations began the previous month.<\/p>\n
“We will release them. But we need to stop the fighting,” he said.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/strong> Death toll reaches 10,000 with Gaza becoming a ‘graveyard for children’<\/strong><\/p>\n Marzouk revealed that he had recently traveled to Moscow to discuss the case of eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens who were abducted by Hamas on October 7. Hamas members in Gaza reportedly located two female hostages from Russia but couldn’t secure their release due to the ongoing conflict. Marzouk said that they could only realistically release hostages if the fighting stopped, allowing them to hand the hostages over to the Red Cross.<\/p>\n When questioned about the events of October 7, Marzouk claimed that Mohamed el-Deif, the leader of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades military wing, had instructed his fighters not to harm women, children, or the elderly. He argued that only reservist soldiers were the intended targets, maintaining that conscripts or soldiers were killed while women, children, and civilians were exempt from harm.<\/p>\n He said: “El-Deif clearly told his fighters ‘don’t kill a woman, don’t kill a child and don’t kill an old man’.”<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> The BBC confronted Marzouk with videos captured from helmet cameras worn by Hamas fighters, which showed unarmed civilians being shot in their cars and homes. Marzouk did not provide a direct response to the evidence.<\/p>\n When asked if Hamas’s political wing had knowledge of the attack preparations, Marzouk said that the armed wing did not need to consult with the political leadership, emphasising that there was no need for such consultations.<\/p>\n It’s important to note that the UK Government does not make a distinction between the political and military wings of Hamas and has designated both as a terrorist organisation in 2021, viewing them as a single, complex terrorist organisation. Furthermore, Marzouk is listed as a specially designated global terrorist by the US Treasury Department and faces several charges related to coordinating and financing Hamas activities.<\/p>\n
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