Palestinian Writers Slam Hamas' Policy And Conduct: Its October 7 Attack Was Reckless; It Places No Value On Palestinian Lives; It Serves The Agenda Of Iran And The Muslim Brotherhood

In the recent months, numerous articles in the Palestinian dailies Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam, published in the Palestinian Authority (PA) territories in the West Bank, have voiced sharp criticism against Hamas, emphasizing the immense damage it has caused to the Palestinian people and their national struggle, especially since its October 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel.[1]

The writers and columnists argued that the good of the homeland is not a priority for Hamas' leadership and that the movement's decision to launch its October 7 attack, known as "The Al-Aqsa Flood," was wrong and ill-considered. This decision, they said, was reckless and impulsive, based on empty slogans and on erroneous, unrealistic assumptions, and above all, made "without a strategic plan that takes all considerations into account." An editorial in the PA mouthpiece Al-Hayat Al-Jadida called to end the populist rhetoric aimed at justifying the attack, hold a critical debate on the matter, and demand accountability from those responsible.

The writers also accused Hamas of a criminal disregard for the lives of the civilians in the Gaza Strip and of abandoning them to their fate. Hamas, they added, is interested only in preserving its control over Gaza, and places no value on Palestinian lives or on the Palestinian homeland. It does not care about the numerous casualties; on the contrary, it views the Gazans as fuel for the war and a collection of "potential martyrs."

The articles also accused Hamas of serving the agendas of foreign actors who exploit the Palestinian cause to advance their own interests: the Iranian regime and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement. They argued that Hamas is not a true Palestinian national movement at all but rather an extension of these two entities, and that the war it initiated against Israel does not serve the Palestinian national cause but rather the interests of these foreign players.

It should be noted that, in the initial months after the October 7 attack, the PA refrained from condemning Hamas. In fact, a condemnation of the attack issued by PA President Mahmoud Abbas was removed from the website of the Palestinian News Agency after a few hours. Senior PA and Fatah officials, including Fatah Central Committee Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub, even justified the attack.[2] Only several months after the start of the war, in light of its devastating consequences for the Gaza Strip, did criticism of Hamas begin to emerge in the Palestinian dailies Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.[3]

It is also important to note that the criticism of Hamas does not reflect a pro-Israeli stance on the part of the writers, who also attacked Israel in their articles.

The following is a sampling of the Palestinian articles that criticize Hamas along these lines. 

The October 7 Attack Was Wrong And Reckless; There Is Need For Critical Discourse On This Issue

A major claim that recurs in the articles is that Hamas’ decision to start the war on October 7, 2023 was ill-considered and taken without proper procedure based on unrealistic premises, and that the Hamas leadership embarked on a dangerous escapade, dragging the people of Gaza and the entire Palestinian people with it into the abyss. Hamas, they say, gambled with the future of the Palestinian people by starting the war and insisting on continuing it. An editorial in the PA mouthpiece Al-Hayat Al-Jadida daily demanded that the issue be examined and investigated in order to demand accountability from those responsible.

Hamas’ Decision To Go To War Was Rash And Irresponsible

Journalist Abd Al-Ghani Salameh wrote in his October 2, 2024 column in the Al-Ayyam daily:  "…[Hamas’] decision to go to war was made by one man [i.e., slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar], impulsively, without a collective leadership, without sufficient advance study and preparation, without even consulting the [Palestinian] partners, and without a strategic plan that takes into account all the considerations, assumptions, means of defense and alternative plans. [The decision was made] while relying on revolutionary, nationalistic and religious slogans about assistance and support from outside elements or from some unknown source. No assessment was made on a scientific or military basis. In addition to excessive self-confidence, there was tremendous underestimation of the enemy’s power and capabilities, a lack of understanding of its character and alliances, and an inability to predict its plans. [Hamas]  gambled on other elements, which turned out to be unreliable or just illusions and wishful thinking…”[4]

In a column several days later, Salameh wrote that, because of the rash manner in which Hamas took its decisions, the losses caused by the war are unjustifiable: “… It is wrong [to say] that the Palestinian people no longer have anything to lose, and therefore must make a great and daring move. This is an apologist and emotional claim, which may also go against human conscience. The Palestinian may lose his eye or his arm, his children, his parents, his wife or his entire family and even his neighbors; he may lose his home, his livelihood, his savings and even his life, his present and his future. Are these losses not too heavy to bear?! These are losses for which there is no compensation. Do all these personal losses not add up to a huge loss for society and for Palestine?

“Despite the magnitude of these losses, they could be acceptable and bearable if they were part of a popular uprising and a political plan leading to liberation and salvation, [part of] a realistic and calculated plan – not [the result of] an ill-considered operation based on erroneous gambles and considerations, which serves partisan interests or regional agendas that have nothing to do with the Palestinian people, its concerns and its aspirations…"[5]

Hamas Miscalculated When It Launched The Attack, And Continues To Rely On Mistaken Considerations

Ashraf Al-Ajrami, a Fatah member and former PA minister for prisoners' affairs, accused the Hamas leadership of being unable to admit the error of its decision to start the war and later its decision to continue holding the Israeli hostages. He wrote in an October 2, 2024 article in the daily Al-Ayyam:  "When Hamas decided to attack the localities of the Gaza envelope on October 7 last year... Hamas and Hizbullah made tactical and strategic errors in assessing the Israeli response and how far Israel would go in its retaliation. [They also erred] in assessing the Iranian role and the likelihood of a direct Iranian intervention in the war, as well as the amount of pressure that could be exerted on Israel for its escalating aggression against Gaza and Southern Lebanon. This disrupted their judgment, but they made yet another mistake by not reversing course at some point to save what could still be saved.

"In Gaza, Hamas could have taken the initiative at a certain point – especially after the first [prisoner] exchange deal – to eliminate the hostage situation in a way that would end the war… Taking a step or two backwards requires courage and wisdom, perhaps more than the decision to attack and fight. Ultimately, this is about weighing the cost and benefit.

"The war in Gaza and Lebanon has caused significant damage that could have been avoided or minimized at some point before heading toward the destructive endpoint… Preserving power, even in a vague sense – perhaps as a stick to wave in order to achieve some balance of power [vis-à-vis Israel] – is preferable to entering a campaign where the stick breaks and the damage caused is very great.”^[6]

PA Daily: There Is A Crucial Need To Critically Assess The October 7 Attack And Demand Accountability

The November 4 editorial of the PA mouthpiece Al-Hayat Al-Jadida stressed that the Palestinians must subject Hamas' October 7 attack to rational criticism and demand accountability of those responsible. The editorial stated: "Reexamination, demanding accountability, and criticism are essential and crucial tools – not only in success and development but also in overcoming crises, addressing difficult problems and resolving them after acknowledging them as they are,  whether they  involve an individual, a group, a government, a party, an ally or the opposition. Without these tools and necessities, there is inevitable stagnation that produces only denial and rejection of the truth, leading to a tragic end!!! Who among us will place the October 7 [attack] on the table for reexamination, accountability and criticism?? Perhaps the more important question is when this will be possible, because the longer it takes [us] to put it on the table, the deeper the second, severe Nakba becomes, the Nakba we have been experiencing for a year and a half now [i.e., the war in Gaza]...!!

“The debate on October 7 must be removed from the realm of denial and rejection of the truth, and must stop trying to present delusion as rationality and trying to market it as a glowing reality of achievement... There is no point in rationalizing the irrational, and it is foolish to rely on rhetoric instead of reality. Ignoring reality in favor of rhetoric is a mistake and even political madness!! What we are facing today, at this fateful stage, requires only scrutiny, accountability and criticism. This should be done through a responsible, national, moral and humane stance, with one clear goal: to restrain this war and save the lives that remain to us in the slaughtered [Gaza] Strip and the wounded [West] Bank, in order to continue advancing on the path to freedom and independence, in loyalty to the martyrs and while glorifying their great sacrifices."^[7]

Hamas Disregards The Victims Of The War And Doesn’t Care If The Conflict Continues Indefinitely

Many Palestinian writers criticized Hamas for disregarding human life and the losses caused by the war in the Gaza Strip,^[8] and for abandoning the civilian population in Gaza to its fate.^[9]They wrote that Hamas and its supporters present to the world an unrealistic, false narrative regarding the "steadfastness" of the civilian population in Gaza, which is unfair to the Gazans and does not reflect the reality on the ground. A prominent target of this criticism was senior Hamas leader Khaled Mash’al, who, in a September 17, 2024 interview with the New York Times, stated that Hamas was in no rush to sign a ceasefire agreement with Israel.[10] In another statement on the anniversary of the outbreak of the war, Mash’al claimed that Palestinian losses in the conflict are merely "tactical." The articles argued that these statements reflect a moral failure on the part of Hamas.[11]

Hamas Does Not Value Human Life, Only Wants To Remain In Power

In its September 19, 2024 editorial, the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida sharply criticized Mash’al’s statement that Hamas was in no rush to sign a ceasefire agreement, calling it a shameful and irresponsible position. The editorial read: "...The blood of Gaza continues to be spilled by the shells of the occupation at every given moment. Not a day goes by without dozens of people martyred, wounded, and displaced while going hungry and thirsty. Despite this, Hamas is in no hurry to reach a ceasefire with Israel, as the head of its Political Bureau abroad, Khaled Mash’al, said in an interview with the American New York Times… After more than 40,000 martyrs and 95,000 wounded, the statement 'we are in no hurry'…, no matter what follows it, should not be uttered by any Palestinian official, whether from Hamas or from any other [faction]. It is a shameful, provocative, and irresponsible statement!..."[12]

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida columnist Muwaffaq Matar wrote on September 22: "...In an interview with the New York Times, Mash’al plunged a knife into the sanctity of freedom when he said that the [October 7] attack caused massive destruction, but that this is the price the Palestinians must pay for freedom… The talk about freedom and sacrifice at any cost is nothing but rhetoric meant to justify his faction's failure both in 'governing' [the Strip] and in 'resistance.' It is a clear and accurate reflection of the position of his Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated faction, which does not sanctify human life and places no value on Palestinian blood… Hamas does not care about freedom, about liberation or about the price [paid by the Palestinian people]. What Hamas cares about is maintaining its coup government in the Gaza Strip, while simultaneously destroying the foundations of the PA, undermining the Palestinian national project and burying the seed of the Palestinian state, at any cost..."[13]

Hamas’ Ideology Does Not Value The Homeland Or The Citizens

In an October 9 article in Al-Ayyam, former PA minister for prisoners’ affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami  criticized Mash’al’s statements about the Palestinians' losses being merely "tactical." He wrote: "In his speech on the anniversary of [the breakout of] the war of extermination, Khaled Mash’al… said that 'our losses are tactical.' [This claim is] not merely outrageous and infuriating, but is also extremely grave. It is not a slip of the tongue, but a true reflection of the ideology and philosophy of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood movement, and their views on the homeland and people. From the perspective of Islamist and fundamentalist movements, including Hamas, the homeland has no value. According to their doctrine, any place where an Islamic emirate can be established is [part of] the [Islamic] homeland, whether it is Palestine, Gaza, Afghanistan or any other part of the world.[14] As for the people, they are [nothing but] potential martyrs, and what matters is the survival of the bearers of the ideology...

"What Mash’al said is completely in line with earlier remarks made by Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouk in a television interview. Asked about the situation of the people in Gaza, who have been left without shelter, [Abu Marzouk replied] that the Gaza tunnels were meant only to shelter Hamas’ operatives, while the majority of Gazans are refugees for whom the UN is responsible.[15] Although Hamas saw itself as the ruling authority in Gaza, its role vis-a-vis the civilians was limited to collecting funds [i.e., taxes] and transferring them to its members and operatives – without contributing anything to developing infrastructure or providing services to the civilian population. Health, education, and all other essential services and projects were the responsibility of the PA in Ramallah, or else funded through donations. For Hamas, Gaza is a chicken laying golden eggs, and maintaining control over it is tied to the idea of the [Islamic] emirate and to [Hamas'] own interests...

"That life has turned into an unbearable hell is not something that concerns the Hamas leadership, [for] they do not care about the fate of the homeland or the people. The tragedy is not just the lack of interest in what is happening throughout the homeland, but the attempt to extract the maximum benefit from these catastrophic conditions...”[16]

For Hamas, Civilians Are Just Cannon Fodder, The Price Of Freedom And A Means Of Attaining Victory

In his September 23, 2024 column in Al-Ayyam, journalist Abd Al-Ghani Salameh likewise attacked Hamas for its inhuman and cruel attitude toward the Gazans, who are treated as mere cannon fodder and fuel for the war, and are expected suffer and die in silence.

He wrote: "...This aggressive war that Israel is waging against Gaza is different from other wars because the civilians are both its raw material and its target. They alone are paying the price: they are the ones fighting, bare-handed and bare-chested; they are the ones standing firm and they are the victims. They are the bargaining chip that everyone uses, they are the fuel of the war, the price of freedom, and the means of victory…

According to [Hamas'] partisan and orchestrated media narrative, all the glory and prestige [are reserved for] the resistance fighters, [while] civilians are merely collateral damage in the conflict! The resistance fighters are the heroes and the ones who represent the resistance, and Gaza's steadfastness is the steadfastness of the resistance! Civilians are on the margins of the situation, expected to be patient, endure and continue to be displaced [from their homes]. Many TikTok activists have even undertaken to glamorize the experience of displacement and to reassure the peoples of the world that the people of Gaza are incredibly strong, resilient, and have a remarkable ability to survive, adapt and be creative..."[17]

Hamas Serves The Agenda Of Iran And The Muslim Brotherhood – Not The Palestinian Agenda

Many writers accused Hamas of failing to advance a national Palestinian agenda and of instead serving the agendas and the interests of the Iranian regime, which supports it and directs it, and of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which it sprung – agendas that in effect only harm the Palestinians.[18]

Iran Is Exploiting Hamas And The Palestinians To Advance Its Own National Security

Muhannad Abd Al-Hamid wrote in his August 27, 2024 column in Al-Ayyam that the Iranian regime is exploiting the Israel-Gaza war in order to advance its own interests: "The war, whose center is the Gaza Strip, is being conducted between the Israeli-American camp, which includes other Western countries, and the camp of resistance, that has four arenas of resistance and is led by Iran… The war of support [for the Gaza Strip] from the Lebanon, Yemen, and other fronts is not managing to reduce the atrocities, the dangers, and the damage in the Gaza Strip. The slogan of unity of the fronts has become an empty slogan…

"The Iranian strategy is unclear from the outset… While [Iran] proposes to eliminate Israel and plans for this, it knows better than anyone that the conventional and nuclear power-balance [between it and Israel], which is derived from the unlimited American and Western support [for Israel], does not allow this. Iran is mobilizing Palestinian and Islamic public opinion with the possibility of eradicating Israel, while in fact its goal is to prevent an international resolution of the conflict – [that is], a Palestinian state on the territory occupied in 1967… When eradicating Israel is not possible, and the solution to the conflict is not possible, the Iranian strategy becomes [a strategy of maintaining an] open-ended, endless conflict, or else turns into strategic patience,[19] while awaiting the promised and undefined moment of decision that only Iran knows. The undeclared aim, that Iran undoubtedly knows very well, is to use the vital and influential Palestinian element [i.e., Hamas] to bring about a deal that will establish [Iran's] regional position as it shares [power] with the strong [elements] in the region, including Israel. If this is so, Palestine is [only] a card being used in Iran's strategy, and its role is to defend Iran's national security…"[20]

Iran Is Exploiting Hamas; The War In Gaza Is For A Foreign Agenda

In his August 13, 2024 column in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Bassem Barhoum also accused Hamas of serving the geopolitical interests of the Iranian regime and of sacrificing the Palestinians and their national struggle for its sake. He wrote:

"There is a phenomenon that has accompanied the Palestinian struggle since the beginning of the dispute with Zionism that is worth discussing, and that is that many Palestinians were not killed as part of the national struggle and the agreed national program, but in service of foreign agendas. Willingness to sacrifice oneself for the homeland is a vitally important matter, but tens of thousands of [Palestinian] people were killed outside the national struggle, with no national plan that properly accumulates such acts of sacrifice and translates them into national achievements. The unnatural willingness of young Palestinians to sacrifice [themselves] without examining the national utility of their sacrifice has been exploited, and is still exploited, by many regional elements… One example is Iran, which, as part of its efforts to pressure the U.S., whether on the issue of the nuclear [program] or in order to [attain an] easing of the sanctions [on it], spurs the factions that it funds – [primarily Hamas] – to clash with Israel using Palestinians who are always and at any time willing to sacrifice [their lives], unconnected to any true national context.

"It should be noted that Iran is exploiting not [just] the Palestinians but also the Lebanese, the Iraqis, the Yemenis, and other [peoples], but its use of the Palestinians is the greatest and most loathsome. The moment Iran succeeds in its efforts, everything will calm down, and the sacrifice of the Palestinian people will go down the drain…

"The question is: Was there a national need for tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded in Palestine, and for the destruction of the Gaza Strip? Has the Palestinian people sacrificed all these victims so that the U.S. would negotiate with Iran on a ceasefire in Gaza, when [Iran's] real goal was to bargain for an easing of the sanctions or to gain recognition for its regional role and its plans?… "[21]

Hamas Is Not A National Palestinian Organization – It Is A Branch Of The Muslim Brotherhood

In another column in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, on September 4, 2024, Bassem Barhoum stated that Hamas also serves the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood, which likewise has no role in advancing the national aspirations of the Palestinians. He wrote:

"For many hours, I thought about how to answer the question of when Hamas would be convinced that its [October 7 Al-Aqsa] Flood had destroyed the Palestinian people and its resources, and would hasten to declare unilaterally that it would stop the flood and end the tragedy and suffering of the [Gaza] public – especially since the resistance axis has not managed to change the course [of matters]. I am stuck on this answer because Hamas is not a national Palestinian organization;  it is an organization belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, and therefore the good of the latter  supersedes all of [Hamas's] considerations. The question is, what interest of the [Muslim Brotherhood] organization and of Hamas requires refraining, so far, from stopping the war, despite everything that has happened? …

"The Muslim Brotherhood organization believes that continuing the war will establish its status in the Arab and Islamic street, and will strengthen its presence in the communities of Arab and Muslim immigrants [worldwide]. The continuation of the war made it easier for the Muslim Brotherhood to disseminate its ideas in the context of the struggle against Israel and defense of the Palestinian cause… [But] the most important issue, that constitutes a central element in the thought of the Muslim Brotherhood, is money. The continuation of the war brings millions of dollars into the Muslim Brotherhood coffers, from all the Muslims who identify with the tragedy of the Palestinians in Gaza – whether from charity or from 'Gaza' donation funds that exist in thousands of mosques. The question is, does any of this money reach the Gaza residents?..."[22]

"The question is, what [would happen] if Hamas was a national Palestinian organization, loyal to Palestine and its people alone? If Hamas was like this, then it would not be called 'Hamas' – that is, 'the Islamic Resistance Movement.' If [Hamas] was like this, then it would decide to end the suffering of the [Gaza] Strip residents, and would not give Israel excuses to transfer its destructive war apparatuses to the [West] Bank after it finishes destroying Gaza, particularly since it [Hamas] knows all too well that the balance of power is totally in Israel's favor and that it does not have the power to change this fact, and also that Iran has no interest whatsoever in any adventure that will harm its interests… What would happen if Hamas was [indeed] a national organization? It would declare an immediate end to its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, so as to save what remains of the Palestinian cause."[23]