Speaking to New Yorker magazine about Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel:

“This is the first time that the Palestinians are crossing the borders and fighting in their historic land. Israel used to wage war against us outside its borders, to kill us and imprison us. Now it’s the opposite. Now the future Israeli generations will know they can’t continue to occupy the Palestinians—they can’t continue their wars forever. This is the biggest achievement.”Adam Rasgon and David D. Kirkpatrick, “What Was Hamas Thinking?,” New Yorker, October 13, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-was-hamas-thinking.

Speaking to New Yorker magazine about Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel:

“They were trained and prepared to do all of this. This wasn’t a spontaneous thing.”Adam Rasgon and David D. Kirkpatrick, “What Was Hamas Thinking?,” New Yorker, October 13, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-was-hamas-thinking.

Speaking to New Yorker magazine about Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel:

“The soldiers are the ones who plan, execute, and so on, but they abide by the general policies put forth by our political bureau. We were surprised by the date but not by the actions.”Adam Rasgon and David D. Kirkpatrick, “What Was Hamas Thinking?,” New Yorker, October 13, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-was-hamas-thinking.

Asked in an Al Arabiya interview if he will apologize for what was done to Israeli civilians during Hamas’s October 7 attack:

“With all due respect, your question, forgive me for saying this, apologies should be demanded from Israel. You asked me a question and I am answering you clearly. Hamas does not intentionally kill civilians. It focuses on soldiers. Period.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

Asked in an Al Arabiya interview about Hamas targeting Israeli civilians during its October 7 attack:

“I told you, my dear sister, that Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades and our military focus their resistance on the occupation forces, on the soldiers, but in all wars, there are some civilian victims. We are not responsible for them.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

Asked in an Al Arabiya interview about comparisons between Hamas and ISIS after Hamas’s October 7 attack:

“This accusation is fabricated by Netanyahu and unfortunately, the West is complicit. Nations, my dear sister, are not easily liberated. The Russians sacrificed 30 million people in World War II, in order to be free of Hitler’s attack. The Vietnamese sacrificed 3.5 million people until they defeated the Americans. Afghanistan sacrificed millions of martyrs to defeat the USSR and then the U.S. The Algerian people sacrificed six million martyrs over 130 years. The Palestinian people are just like any other nation. No nation is liberated without sacrifices.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

In an Al Arabiya interview:

“That ingenious moment when the Al-Qassam Brigades managed to surprise the enemy and all the intelligence agencies in the world had to be kept a secret. We did not embark on a new type of resistance. It is all part of the atmosphere of resistance. When a certain measure is taken, it is in the context of the legitimate that our people have agreed on.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

“We knew that there were [Israeli] plans to launch a massive attack against us after the [Jewish] holidays. We preempted it by surprising the commanders of the Southern Command.”Gianluca Pacchiani, “Hamas deputy chief lies: We don’t target civilians, we only attacked IDF,” Times of Israel, October 12, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-deputy-chief-lies-we-dont-target-civilians-we-only-attacked-idf/.

Speaking to Al Jazeera:

“The Al-Qassam attack was a well-organized and disciplined operation, with instructions to target the Israeli military’s Gaza Brigade.

“We preempted an Israeli attack by surprising the leadership of the Israeli military’s Southern Brigade, which quickly collapsed.

“1,200 members of the Al-Qassam Brigades entered the settlements and quickly took control of the Israeli military’s Gaza Brigade. We were surprised that the Gaza Brigade collapsed in less than three hours, faster than we expected.

“The Hamas leadership’s instructions to the fighters were clear: not to kill children and women. It was not part of Al-Qassam’s plan to harm or kill civilians. Hamas cannot target civilians or prisoners, and we act in accordance with international laws of war.

“The occupation knows that its invasion of Gaza will turn the battle into a catastrophe for its army. Before our operation began, the defensive plan was ready, and it is much stronger than the offensive plan. For every action taken by the occupation, we have a plan.

“All possibilities are open, and we have our calculations in all areas. We have stated our position that after the battle, discussions will take place regarding the prisoners.

“We do not see a future for this battle except victory.”“This is What Happened in the First Three Hours of ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’: Saleh al-Arouri Reveals,” Palestine Chronicle, October 12, 2023, https://www.palestinechronicle.com/this-is-what-happened-in-the-first-three-hours-of-al-aqsa-flood-saleh-al-arouri-reveals/.

“Today, our fighters managed to capture a large number of prisoners from the enemy forces and bring them to the Gaza Strip. Our fighters managed to reach the Mavki’im area and engaged in fierce clashes that resulted in the killing and injury of a significant number of enemy forces.”Eyad Kourdi, Ibrahim Dahman, and Jonny Hallam, “Hamas claims to have taken more Israeli hostages Sunday,” CNN, October 8, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-attack-10-08-23/h_1701ce668036414bc9e55a28d54f364d.