On 21 January 2024, Hamas published a report titled “Our Narrative… Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, explaining the rationale behind Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and refuting Israeli claims. In short, the report explains that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was a necessary step and a natural reaction against Israel’s efforts to eliminate the Palestinian cause, including its Judaization of the Palestinian lands, establishment of complete control over Al-Aqsa Mosque, and normalization of relations with Arab states.
The report emphasized that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was a strategic effort aimed at easing the blockade in the Gaza Strip, freeing thousands of Palestinian captives, ending Israeli occupation, restoring national rights, and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. It acknowledged that “some faults” may have arisen during the operation due to the rapid breakdown of Israeli security and military systems, resulting in chaos along the Gaza border.
The report asserted that Hamas treated civilians held in Gaza positively and sought their release, which occurred during a week-long humanitarian truce that allowed for exchanges involving Palestinian women and children detained by Israel. In response to accusations of targeting Israeli civilians, it stated that avoiding harm to non-combatants, especially women, children, and the elderly, is a moral obligation for Hamas members.
Regarding allegations that the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, targeted civilians on October 7, the report described these claims as “complete lies and fabrications,” attributing them to the Israeli narrative without independent verification. It cited video evidence and later testimonies from Israelis indicating that many casualties were due to Israeli forces amid confusion, insisting that Palestinian fighters only targeted occupation soldiers.
Despite the opposition of the U.S. and European states to the prosecution of Israel at the International Court of Justice, the report urged them to support investigations into crimes in Palestine if they truly believe in justice.
Following the October 7 incursion by Hamas, Israel launched a genocidal offensive in Gaza, resulting in at least 25,105 Palestinian deaths and approximately 62,681 injuries by the end of January 2024. Nearly 1,200 Israelis were reportedly killed in the initial attack.
The ongoing Israeli military campaign has displaced 85% of Gaza’s population, leading to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.