Senior Hamas official claims terror group was surprised by Israel’s 'barbaric' response to Oct. 7 attack

The Hamas terrorist organization was surprised by Israel’s “barbaric” response to its surprise invasion and brutal massacre of Israel's southern border communities on Oct. 7, according to senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk.

Marzouk was interviewed by the Egyptian Alghad TV channel last Thursday and the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated the interview from Arabic into English.

“When the [al-Qassam] brigades did what they did on October 7,” the interviewer asked Marzouk, “did they have any expectations regarding the consequences of the attack?”

The senior Hamas leader claimed the jihadist organization, which ruthlessly slaughtered at least 1,200 Israeli men, women and children on Oct. 7 did not expect such a “barbaric” response from Israel.

“Look, the consequences of the attack...Nobody in the whole world expected them to be so barbaric, and in such violation of all the international laws, treaties and norms. Nobody expected the [Israeli response] to be so barbaric, because, ultimately, the resistance fights soldiers. It is not fighting civilians with planes and tanks,” Marzouk said.

Senior Hamas Official Mousa Abu Marzouk: Nobody Could Have Anticipated the Consequences of October 7; We Did Not Expect a Barbaric World War against Us, in Violation of International Law #Hamas #Palestinians #October7massacre pic.twitter.com/H9x95vPk5b

— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) February 25, 2024

The statement was made even though Hamas terrorists targeted and continue to target Israeli civilians while hiding behind Gazan civilians – a double war crime under international law.

Urban warfare expert John Spencer, who leads the Modern War Institute’s Department of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point, expressed profound shock at the level of evil and horrific atrocities that were perpetrated by Hamas terrorists with delight on Oct. 7.

“I’ve seen my share of evil firsthand around the world in wars. I've seen heinous cruelty/dehumanization/ mutilations. I've looked evil men in the eye. But I've never seen so many evil men (hundreds, thousands) show such joy in committing their acts,” Spencer said.

By contrast, Spencer wrote: “Israel has implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any other military in the history of war. While some have argued Israel could have waited longer, used different munitions, or not conducted the war at all – [they] all [failed] to acknowledge the context of Israel’s war… [they are overlooking] the hostages, rockets, tunnels, existential threat of Hamas, and more.”

The senior terrorist leader also claimed that Hamas was surprised by the American and British military intervention in the Middle East following the Oct. 7 massacres.

“Nobody expected that all the Western powers, the U.S. and Britain, would wage world war against civilians. Nobody expected that,” Marzouk said without elaborating.

The United States and Great Britain have not targeted civilians but have actively struck targets of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia that has declared war on international shipping in the strategically important Red Sea area.

Ironically, last October, Marzouk openly admitted that the vast tunnel network in Gaza was built to protect Hamas leaders and operatives but not Gazan civilians.

“We have built the tunnels because we have no other way of protecting ourselves from being targeted and killed,” Marzouk said during an interview with Russia Today TV.

“These tunnels are meant to protect us from the airplanes. We are fighting from inside the tunnels,” he added.

Marzouk denied that the Hamas regime had any responsibility to protect Gazan civilians. Instead, he claimed the United Nations and Israel were responsible for Gaza’s civilian population.

“According to the Geneva Convention, it is the responsibility of the occupation to provide them with all the services as long as they are under occupation,” Marzouk claimed, despite Israel leaving the Gaza Strip in 2005. Hamas has had control of the coastal enclave since 2007.