Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk has called, unusually, on Hamas to recognize the State of Israel.
In an interview with Al-Monitor in Doha, Abu Marzouk said, "You should follow the official stance. The official stance is that the PLO has recognized the state of Israel."
He added, "We are seeking to be a part of the PLO, and we said we will respect the PLO’s obligations."
Abu Marzouk added that in his opinion, Israelis should have their rights, "but not at the expense of others," he stressed.
During the interview, Abu Marzouk admitted that Hamas made a mistake when it kidnapped women and children, but defended the terror group's refusal to release them with the excuse that "Israel is relentlessly shelling Gaza."
He did not explain to Al-Monitor why the women and children were not released during the week-long ceasefire, Hamas had promised to do.
Abu Marzouk also claimed - falsely - that only "Gaza civilians and other Palestinian factions" breaching the border fence between Gaza and Israel carried out the October 7 atrocities, and that the evidence of Hamas' sexual violence towards Israeli women is simply "mere lies."
According to him, the October 7 massacre accomplished "many goals" for Gazan residents, since, "Everyone is talking about a Palestinian state."