Asked in an Al Arabiya interview about comparisons between Hamas and ISIS after Hamas’s October 7 attack:

“This accusation is fabricated by Netanyahu and unfortunately, the West is complicit. Nations, my dear sister, are not easily liberated. The Russians sacrificed 30 million people in World War II, in order to be free of Hitler’s attack. The Vietnamese sacrificed 3.5 million people until they defeated the Americans. Afghanistan sacrificed millions of martyrs to defeat the USSR and then the U.S. The Algerian people sacrificed six million martyrs over 130 years. The Palestinian people are just like any other nation. No nation is liberated without sacrifices.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

In an Al Arabiya interview:

“That ingenious moment when the Al-Qassam Brigades managed to surprise the enemy and all the intelligence agencies in the world had to be kept a secret. We did not embark on a new type of resistance. It is all part of the atmosphere of resistance. When a certain measure is taken, it is in the context of the legitimate that our people have agreed on.”“Exclusive: ‘Israel will kill us, whether we resist or not,’ says former Hamas chief,” Al Arabiya, last updated October 21, 2023, https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/10/19/-Israel-is-killing-us-whether-we-resist-or-not-says-former-Hamas-chief.

“We knew that there were [Israeli] plans to launch a massive attack against us after the [Jewish] holidays. We preempted it by surprising the commanders of the Southern Command.”Gianluca Pacchiani, “Hamas deputy chief lies: We don’t target civilians, we only attacked IDF,” Times of Israel, October 12, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-deputy-chief-lies-we-dont-target-civilians-we-only-attacked-idf/.

Speaking to Al Jazeera:

“The Al-Qassam attack was a well-organized and disciplined operation, with instructions to target the Israeli military’s Gaza Brigade.

“We preempted an Israeli attack by surprising the leadership of the Israeli military’s Southern Brigade, which quickly collapsed.

“1,200 members of the Al-Qassam Brigades entered the settlements and quickly took control of the Israeli military’s Gaza Brigade. We were surprised that the Gaza Brigade collapsed in less than three hours, faster than we expected.

“The Hamas leadership’s instructions to the fighters were clear: not to kill children and women. It was not part of Al-Qassam’s plan to harm or kill civilians. Hamas cannot target civilians or prisoners, and we act in accordance with international laws of war.

“The occupation knows that its invasion of Gaza will turn the battle into a catastrophe for its army. Before our operation began, the defensive plan was ready, and it is much stronger than the offensive plan. For every action taken by the occupation, we have a plan.

“All possibilities are open, and we have our calculations in all areas. We have stated our position that after the battle, discussions will take place regarding the prisoners.

“We do not see a future for this battle except victory.”“This is What Happened in the First Three Hours of ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’: Saleh al-Arouri Reveals,” Palestine Chronicle, October 12, 2023, https://www.palestinechronicle.com/this-is-what-happened-in-the-first-three-hours-of-al-aqsa-flood-saleh-al-arouri-reveals/.

“For more than seven decades, the world has witnessed the Israeli occupation and its fascist government’s awful attacks against the Palestinian people, children, women, and elderly people.

“The world has seen how the Israeli occupation continues to colonize Palestinian lands, Judaize Palestinian territories, establish settlements, desecrate Muslim and Christian places, kill Palestinians in cold blood, insult Palestinian women, and attack Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. All of these crimes happened amid international silence, and therefore the occupation escalated its terrorism and aggression until the Israeli occupation crimes became too aggravated.”Hamas Online, Telegram, October 9, 2023.

“Today, our fighters managed to capture a large number of prisoners from the enemy forces and bring them to the Gaza Strip. Our fighters managed to reach the Mavki’im area and engaged in fierce clashes that resulted in the killing and injury of a significant number of enemy forces.”Eyad Kourdi, Ibrahim Dahman, and Jonny Hallam, “Hamas claims to have taken more Israeli hostages Sunday,” CNN, October 8, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-attack-10-08-23/h_1701ce668036414bc9e55a28d54f364d.

In an interview with Al Jazeera following Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that day:

“We will continue to fight until we are rewarded with victory, freedom and independence.”“Hamas says it has enough Israeli captives to free all Palestinian prisoners,” Al Jazeera, October 7, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/7/hamas-says-it-has-enough-israeli-captives-to-free-all-palestinian-prisoners.

In an interview with Al Jazeera following Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that day:

“This is not a [hit-and-run] operation; we started an all-out battle. We expect fighting to continue and the fighting front to expand. We have one prime target: our freedom and the freedom of our holy sites.”“Hamas says it has enough Israeli captives to free all Palestinian prisoners,” Al Jazeera, October 7, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/7/hamas-says-it-has-enough-israeli-captives-to-free-all-palestinian-prisoners.

In an interview with Al Jazeera following Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that day:

“We managed to kill and capture many Israeli soldiers. The fighting is still on. Our detainees in [Israeli] prisons, their freedom is looming large. What we have in our hands will release all our prisoners. The longer fighting continues, the higher the number of prisoners will become.”“Hamas says it has enough Israeli captives to free all Palestinian prisoners,” Al Jazeera, October 7, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/7/hamas-says-it-has-enough-israeli-captives-to-free-all-palestinian-prisoners.

“Enough is enough, the cycle of intifadas and revolutions in the battle to liberate our Palestinian land and our prisoners languishing in occupation prisons must be completed.”Matt Drake, “How Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh watched attack on Israel on TV from his office in Qatar as he celebrated with other officials,” Daily Mail (London), October 8, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12608271/How-Hamas-leader-Ismail-Haniyeh-watched-attack-Israel-TV-office-Qatar-celebrated-officials.html.