One of Hamas's top leaders insisted that the movement did not kill civilians in Israel, affirming that only conscripts were targeted. Musa Abu Marzouk said in an interview with the BBC that "women, children, and civilians were excluded" from Hamas's attacks. The interview with Abu Marzouk took place in a Gulf country, and he is the deputy political leader of Hamas, with "his assets and properties in the UK frozen" under anti-terror regulations. Abu Marzouk is the highest-ranked Hamas member to speak to the BBC since the operation executed by the movement in October.
When asked about the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, Abu Marzouk replied that they were unable to release the hostages amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza. He stated, "We will release them, but we need to stop the fighting first." Recently, Abu Marzouk traveled to Moscow to discuss the case of eight Israeli-Russian citizens who were among those abducted by Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization and is banned in many countries, including the UK and the US. He mentioned that members of the movement in Gaza "found two Russian hostages among the captives, but they could not release them due to the ongoing events." He added that they would only be able to release the hostages in practice if "the Israelis stop fighting so we can hand them over to the Red Cross."
Regarding the attack on October 7, Abu Marzouk confirmed that Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas's military wing, ordered his men to avoid civilians. He said, "Deif clearly told his fighters: do not kill any women, children, or elderly." He stated that among those "targeted" by the movement were Israeli reservists, emphasizing that "only conscripts and soldiers" were killed, while women, children, and civilians were "excluded."
The BBC asked the senior Hamas leader about videos captured by the body cams of Hamas fighters that show gunfire aimed at unarmed civilians in their cars and homes, but Abu Marzouk did not directly answer the question. When asked whether the political wing of Hamas was aware of the preparations for the attack, the deputy political leader of the movement stated that the military wing "does not need to consult with the political leadership, as there is no need for that." The political wing, based in Qatar, often presents itself as separate from the military forces in Gaza. The UK government does not differentiate between the two wings - it labeled Hamas's political wing as a terrorist organization in 2021. The US Treasury also designated Abu Marzouk as a "global terrorist," accusing him of several charges related to coordinating and funding Hamas's activities.
**Hostage Crisis**
The interview came on Saturday after Israel rejected the US request for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to release some of the 240 hostages held by Hamas. Abu Marzouk stated that Hamas does not have a list of all those he referred to as "guests," and he does not know the whereabouts of many of them, as they are held by "different factions." Various armed groups and factions operate within Gaza, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which works closely with Hamas but is ostensibly independent. He noted that a ceasefire is needed to gather information, adding that there are other priorities amid the bombardment.
