Former Palestinian Authority PM Calls Oct. 7 Massacre ‘Courageous’
The former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Shtayyyeh, described the terrorist massacre on October 7 of Hamas as a “courageous and unprecedented operation” which marked “an important crossroads in the history of the Palestinian struggle”, while simultaneously calling the terrorist group to join the organization of the Palestinian liberation under the direction of unified Palestinian leadership.
The remarks, presented during an interview of July 29 Podcast mazeej By the Al-Arabiya network, come as major European nations, notably France, the United Kingdom and Canada, are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state in the United Nations next month, a decision that criticisms warn terrorism and validate Hamas’ strategy to use a mass murder to achieve diplomatic gains.
Shtayyyeh, who was Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority from 2019 to 2024, offered an explicitly favorable assessment of the October 7 massacre of Hamas – the worst attack on the Jews since the Holocaust, who killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, mainly civilians, and saw more than 250 kidnappings, including around 50 hotels remain in Gaza, 20 years old. While renting the operation as “courageous”, he recognized what he described as tactical failures, suggesting that Hamas had not correctly calculated the consequences of the civilian population of Gaza.
“October 7 was a courageous and unprecedented operation. Honestly, it is an important crossroads in the history of the Palestinian struggle, “said Shtayyyeh in the interview, according to a translation provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
“But I also say that we should look at where it led things. Nobody in the world does [reckless] Adventure and jumps into the void, because if you jump into the void, you would fall to the ground and break your neck.
The former Palestinian authority official criticized Hamas for prioritizing the protection of its members in underground tunnels while not taking into account the citizens of Gaza, calling on October 7 “poorly calculated” despite his praise for his audacity.
“Any adventure should take into account the consequences, because even if Hamas was ready to protect its members in the tunnels – as a brother [Musa] Abu Marzouk said – he had not taken any consideration for the [Gaza] citizens, “said Shtayyyeh.” Therefore, I can say, in a sentence, that October 7 was poorly calculated. »»
The interview also revealed the true alignment of the allegedly moderate Palestinian authority on terrorist objectives, revealing that even the AP officials adopt the violent strategy of Hamas while seeking to unify the Palestinian factions under a single extremist umbrella. Shtayyyeh called for unit talks between PLO and Hamas to determine whether Palestinians seek “a Palestinian state inside the borders of 1967”, want to “release all land” or desire “a state” from the river to the sea “- terminology which implies the complete elimination of Israel.
“We want to reach an agreement [with Hamas] About our objectives, “said Shtayyyeh.” Then we have to agree on the way to achieve this goal. It is not this side that a side makes peace [with Israel] Of himself, and the other side will make war on himself. United We go to peace, and United We go to war, under the banner of the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, who is the OLP. »»
In a notable public change, Shtayyyeh has extended an invitation to Hamas to join the OLP without prerequisites, suggesting that the terrorist group could “change its political platform from the interior” rather than being forced to abandon its extremist positions in advance.
“We are not asking Hamas anything. We are not asking them to recognize Israel, or anything. All we ask for Hamas is to join the OLP,” he said. “Hamas is invited to be part of the PLO and change its interior political platform.”
The moment of the remarks of Shtayyyeh is particularly significant as European nations accelerate their thrust for the recognition of the Palestinian State through the same Palestinian authority as Shtayyyeh represented. The Labor Government of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer reported its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, encouraging Israeli officials to warn that such movements are in reward for terrorism.
The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently warned European leaders that a Palestinian State in current circumstances would actually become “Hamastan”, declaring that “Israel will not be Czechoslovakia of the 21st century” in reference to Western appeasement of Nazi Germany.
President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and prevented the PA officials from going to the United Nations for the provided for state recognition efforts scheduled for September to the UN, the sanctions represent a net inversion of the Biden administration approach and signal an American resolution renewed under the Trump administration against the Terrality of the Palestinian administration.
A recent survey indicates that Israeli support for a two -state solution has dropped to only 21%, a historic hollow, while 80% of Israelis are back from Trump in matters of Gaza emigration. The data suggest that the Israeli public opinion of October 7 has been fundamentally modified concerning Palestinian intentions and the viability of peaceful coexistence.
The characterization of Shtayyyeh of October 7 as a “courageous and unprecedented operation” which marked “an important crossroads in the history of the Palestinian struggle” echoes similar boasts of the current management of Hamas. In recent weeks, Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas political bureau, has openly attributed to the massacre the massacre to stimulate Western recognition of the Palestinian state, declaring that “the fruits of October 7” had forced the world to address the Palestinian cause.
The case comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said five principles for post-war governance in Gaza, created with President Trump. The Netanyahu’s plan demands that “Hamas must lay down its arms”, Gaza “must be demilitarized”, the hostages “must be released”, Israel will maintain “global security” and Gaza must “be governed by a civil authority which is not hostile”.
“I do not want to govern Gaza,” Netanyahu said when the FDI prepares for an operation to completely dismantle the Hamas rule and transfer Gaza to a new leadership. “I want to have a different governance which is willing to live in peace with Israel and give Gazans a different future.” Netanyahu, who has constantly rejected Palestinian authority as a viable governing alternative, finds her skepticism of the “moderation” of the AP reinforced by the praise of Shtayyyeh for the massacre of October 7 and the reception of the Hamas terrorist group in the Plo with open arms.
Joshua Klein is a Breitbart News journalist. Send him an email to jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joshuaklein.
