Hamas Political Bureau member speaks: 'October 7 was a reaction against the occupation'

Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan gave an interview to the US-based CNN International channel in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. In the interview, Hamdan said that the latest ceasefire plan announced by US President Joe Biden did not meet Hamas's demands for an end to the conflict.

Hamdan stated, "Hamas needed a clear position from Israel to accept a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, allowing Palestinians to determine their own future, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the lifting of the blockade. We are ready to talk about a fair deal regarding the release of hostages."

Emphasizing that the duration of the ceasefire is an important issue for Hamas, Hamdan stated that hostilities must end permanently and Israel must withdraw completely from Gaza. Hamdan said, "The Israelis only want a 6-week ceasefire and then want to return to the attacks. The Americans have so far been unable to convince the Israelis to accept (a permanent ceasefire)."

Answering the question of whether Hamas regrets the decision to attack Israel on October 7, Hamdan held Israel responsible for the situation, stating that the attack was "a reaction against the occupation."

Hamdan said, "The Israeli occupation is responsible for this. If you resist the occupation, they will kill you; if you do not resist the occupation, they will still kill you and deport you from your country. So what are we supposed to do, just wait?"

"WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY HOSTAGES ARE ALIVE"

Hamdan stated that they do not know the number of hostages remaining alive in the Gaza Strip, saying, "I have no idea about this. No one has any idea about this."

Hamdan also stated that the operation in which the Israeli army rescued 4 hostages from Gaza last Saturday resulted in the deaths of 3 hostages, including 1 US citizen. When asked about the claim that the released hostages were experiencing psychological problems, Hamdan once again held Israel responsible for what happened.

Hamdan said, "If they have psychological problems, I believe it is because of what Israel has done in Gaza. Because (no one) can endure what Israel has done; it bombs every day, kills civilians, kills women and children. They (the hostages) saw this with their own eyes."

The Israeli administration believes that more than 70 of the more than 100 hostages held in Gaza are still alive.

News Source: 12punto