Senior Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad declared that the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel — one of the bloodiest days in the nation’s history — was a “benefit” to the Palestinian cause, even as the devastating war it triggered continues to grind on nearly two years later.

In an interview aired Thursday on CNN, Hamad said the cross-border rampage, which left some 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage, created a “golden moment” for Palestinians by putting what he described as Israel’s “brutality” on display before the international community.

“You know what is the benefit of October 7 now?” Hamad asked. “If you look to the [UN] General Assembly yesterday, when about 194 people opened their eyes and looked to the atrocity, to the brutality of Israel, and all of them, they condemned Israel.”

Hamad went further, claiming: “We waited for this moment for 77 years. I think this is a golden moment for the world to change history.”

The remarks come as Gaza reels from unprecedented destruction and loss of life. According to figures released by Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the October 7 attack.

Pressed by CNN on whether Hamas bears responsibility for the staggering death toll — given that the group instigated the war with its assault — Hamad rejected the premise outright. “I know the price [is] so high,” he said, “but I’m asking again, what is the option?”

Hamad also dismissed the insistence by the U.S. and other Western powers that Hamas must play no role in any future Palestinian state. He argued that the world cannot “exclude” the terror group, asserting it is “playing a positive role” in advancing Palestinian aspirations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)