Fact-Checking | Former Hamas Leader Claims the Group Does Not Target Civilians

The content of this report may be distressing and disturbing. Hamas and its allies continue to spread false narratives about the current war between Israel and this militant group, which includes efforts to normalize the operations of militant groups in Gaza – which they call 'Al-Aqsa Storm.' Khaled Mashal, the former head of Hamas, in an interview on October 21 with the Saudi television network Al Arabiya, referred to reports of Hamas directly targeting civilians as 'a fabricated accusation by Netanyahu [the Prime Minister of Israel].' Rasha Nabil, the interviewer, pressed Mashal on these claims, noting that Israel has garnered Western sympathy due to the crimes Hamas committed against Israeli and foreign civilians on October 7. Nabil asked, 'Is this kind of behavior towards civilians part of Hamas's ideology?' Mashal denied it. 'Sister, I told you that Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and our military organizations focus their resistance on the occupying forces, on soldiers. But in all wars, some civilians are also victims. We are not responsible for them.' When Nabil asked if Mashal would apologize for the deaths of Israeli civilians on October 7, he replied, 'Hamas never intentionally kills civilians; it focuses on soldiers. That's it.' This claim is false. Documentation found on the bodies of Hamas fighters shows their plans to kill civilians – including the deliberate targeting of women and children. Video and other evidence indicate that they executed these plans. Of the approximately 1,400 people killed on October 7, the bodies of 1,033 civilians have been collected. Contrary to claims made by Iranian state media that Hamas only killed soldiers and 'illegal settlers,' foreign nationals with no clear familial ties to Israelis, including 30 from Thailand, 10 from Nepal, 4 from China, and 4 from the Philippines, were among the citizens targeted by Hamas militants on October 7. Hamas killed dozens of other foreign citizens from North and South America (including 31 American citizens), Europeans, and Asians. Some of these individuals held dual citizenship. After attacking a music festival near 'Kibbutz Re'im' in southern Israel, close to Gaza, Hamas killed 260 people and took dozens more hostage. Released images from this attack show Hamas militants shooting at fleeing civilians. Hamas also killed Awwad Darousheh, an Arab-Israeli paramedic who attempted to assist the injured at the festival. On November 1, Israel presented a film to over 200 journalists that included footage from body cameras, surveillance cameras, vehicle dash cams, and videos recorded by the mobile phones of Hamas militants and victims, all filmed during the October 7 attack. These videos included images of a Hamas fighter throwing a grenade at a father and his two sons who were trying to take cover. They killed the father and injured the sons. Other footage shows a Hamas fighter using a gardening spade to behead a Thai citizen whom militants had shot in the stomach. Garry Wood from The Atlantic, who was present at the screening of these films, wrote: 'Men, women, and children are killed in every horrific way you can imagine – or even some you can't – by gunfire, explosions, hunting, torture, burning, etc.' Wood described this attack as 'predatory sadism,' referring to the targeted slaughter of civilians and the desire to disfigure the bodies of those already killed. Israeli officials stated that they refrained from showing some of their more horrific footage. Human rights groups have also documented Hamas's crimes against civilians on October 7 and called for an investigation into war crimes. However, Amnesty International and others argue that Israel's response has been 'disproportionate,' accusing Israel of conducting unnecessary attacks that have resulted in widespread civilian casualties, which they claim should also be investigated as 'war crimes.' The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, announced that in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, at least 5,791 Palestinians, including 2,360 children, have been killed. In response, Israel claims that many of Hamas and Islamic Jihad's rockets malfunction and kill Gaza civilians. Israel and NATO have accused Hamas of using human shields since 2007 – a war crime. However, Israel states that this does not negate its commitment to protect civilians – according to international law – although it makes it more difficult. As evidenced after the October 25 explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, Hamas officials are not a reliable source. Hamas claimed that this explosion was due to an Israeli airstrike, which they said killed over 500 people. However, evidence now widely indicates that a 'malfunctioning' Hamas rocket caused this explosion, and Western and Israeli officials claim that the casualties from this explosion were in the dozens, not hundreds.