October 7 represents a “historic response” to the Israeli occupation, declared a senior Hamas official, Fawzi Barhoum, on Tuesday (07/10) through a video message, as Israel marks the second anniversary of the attack that caused the deaths of more than 1,200 people. Specifically, in the statement broadcast via the Qatari network Al Jazeera, he said: “We reaffirm that the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation of October 7 was a historic response to the conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause”.
Read: October 7: Israelis pay tribute to Hamas massacre victims – Memorial events (Video & Images)
Barhoum: October 7th marks “beginning of countdown”
Additionally, Barhoum stated that October 7 “also marked the beginning of a process (…) of isolating the Zionist occupation, at regional and international levels” (…) and the beginning of a real countdown to the end of its presence on this land”, he added, while the Gaza Strip has been devastated by Israel’s military retaliation campaign that has caused tens of thousands of deaths. Barhoum also said that the Palestinian Islamist organization is trying to overcome “all obstacles” that could prevent an agreement to end the war in Gaza. “The movement’s delegation participating in negotiations taking place in Egypt is trying to overcome all obstacles in order to reach an agreement that meets the expectations of our people and our families in Gaza,” Barhoum said in the same video broadcast by Al Jazeera. Saying that Hamas wants to reach “a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” with “complete withdrawal of [Israeli] forces from all areas of the Gaza Strip” and “unrestricted entry of humanitarian and medical aid,” Barhoum warned of attempts by “(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to undermine” the negotiations.
