Hamas accuses New York Times of distorting Marzouk interview

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has said that the recent remarks attributed to the head of its international relations office, Mousa Abu Marzouk, were inaccurate and taken out of context, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported.

In a statement on Monday, Hamas explained that the interview with Abu Marzouk and published by the New York Times several days ago did not contain his full answers and his exact remarks were quoted out of context. As such, they didn’t convey the real meaning of what he said.

According to Hamas, Abu Marzouk confirmed that the 7 October cross-border incursion reflected the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to reject and resist Israel’s siege, occupation and settlement expansion. He also stressed that the Israeli occupation regime had committed appalling war crimes and genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Abu Marzouk told the New York Times that Hamas would not give up its positions and its people’s right to use all forms of resistance, including armed struggle, to fight the Israeli occupation and liberate Palestine.

“The resistance weapon belongs to our people and its purpose is to protect our people and our holy sites, so it is not permissible to drop or surrender it as long as the [Israeli] occupation exists on our land,” the Hamas official told the newspaper.

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