Moussa Abu Marzouk said Hamas’s armed wing “don’t have to consult with the political leadership”. Photo by BBC News Arabic
A senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk, has refused to acknowledge the group’s involvement in the killing of civilians in Israel. He claimed that only conscripts were targeted by Hamas and that women, children, and civilians were exempt from their attacks. These claims are in contrast to substantial evidence, including video footage from Hamas body cameras and eyewitness testimonies, which document Hamas militants shooting unarmed adults and children.
Israel reports that more than 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed by Hamas in attacks that occurred on October 7. Moussa Abu Marzouk, the deputy political leader of Hamas, who is subject to asset freezes in the UK under counter-terrorism regulations, provided this perspective in an interview with the BBC. He was interviewed in the Gulf and is the highest-ranking Hamas member to speak with the BBC since the October 7 attacks.
When asked about the war in Gaza and the hostages being held in the territory, Marzouk stated that they could not be released while Israel continued to bomb Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 10,000 people have been killed since Israel initiated its operations last month. Marzouk also mentioned his recent trip to Moscow to discuss the situation of eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens who were abducted by Hamas on October 7. Hamas claimed they found two female hostages from Russia but were unable to release them due to the ongoing conflict. Marzouk emphasized that hostages could only be released if the fighting ceased, allowing them to be handed over to the Red Cross.
When questioned by the BBC about the October 7 attack, Marzouk claimed that the leader of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades military wing, Mohamed el-Deif, had given clear instructions to spare civilians. He asserted that only reservist soldiers were targeted, while women, children, and civilians were exempt from their attacks.
However, a substantial body of evidence contradicts this claim, documenting a range of violent acts committed by Hamas on October 7. BBC journalists who visited the attack scenes immediately after the incidents observed the bodies of civilians who had been killed. There is also verified CCTV footage capturing shootings by Hamas, and footage from Hamas body cameras has been shared with the BBC by the Israeli government.
Other international news organizations have independently gathered and verified evidence of the events of that day. Marzouk was challenged on this evidence, but he did not directly address the question.
When asked if the political wing of Hamas was aware of preparations for the October 7 attack, Marzouk stated that there was no need for the armed wing to consult with the political leadership, as they operated independently. The political wing of Hamas, located in Qatar, often portrays itself as distant from the military forces in Gaza. The UK government, however, does not distinguish between the different parts of Hamas, having proscribed the political wing as a terrorist organization in 2021.
Marzouk is also designated as a global terrorist by the US Treasury Department and faces multiple charges related to coordinating and financing Hamas activities.
The interview with Marzouk followed Israel’s refusal of US requests for a “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to allow aid delivery and the release of some of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that all hostages must be released before any temporary truce could be considered.
Marzouk mentioned that Hamas did not have a complete list of the hostages and did not know their whereabouts because they were being held by various factions. Inside Gaza, multiple groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, work closely with Hamas but maintain an ostensibly independent status. He argued that a ceasefire was necessary to gather this information and suggested that there were other priorities while Gaza remained under bombardment.
Marzouk’s role is expected to be central in the ongoing conflict with Israel and in negotiations concerning the hostages.
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