Hamas says top official's remarks in NYT article taken out of context

Hamas said the statements attributed to Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas's foreign relations office, including that he would have opposed the 7 October attack if he had known the devastating Israeli response that would have followed, were taken out of context.

“If it was expected that what happened would happen, there wouldn’t have been October 7,” The New York Times on Monday reported Marzouk saying.

"The statements do not fully reflect the content of the answers, they were taken out of context in a way that does not serve the true meaning of the statements," Hamas said.

According to the statement, Abu Marzouk had said: "The welcome October 7 attack is an expression of our people's right to resist and refuse the siege, occupation, and settlements."

It said he had also "repeatedly emphasised the movement's position regarding our people's right to resistance in all its forms until liberation and return, headed by armed resistance."