On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN International’s “The Brief,” CNN Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond discussed his interview with senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad and stated that “it was quite clear that he sees a lot of the international pressure that is being brought to bear on Israel, a lot of the recognition of a Palestinian state, the millions of people marching in the streets over the course of this war as very much the fruits of the October 7 attack and what Hamas was trying to accomplish.” But “part of that involves a disproportionate Israeli military response that we have seen over the last two years, which Hamad and other senior Hamas officials knew would be the kind of heavy-handed, disproportionate response that they would get from Israel.”
Host Jim Sciutto said, “It was notable to me for him to say there that the recognition of Palestinian statehood at the U.N. showed that October 7 was a victory. That’s notable because that’s the point you hear President Trump and many Israeli officials make. So, do you read Hamas seeing that as something of a win for them?”
Diamond responded, “Absolutely. I think it was quite clear that he sees a lot of the international pressure that is being brought to bear on Israel, a lot of the recognition of a Palestinian state, the millions of people marching in the streets over the course of this war as very much the fruits of the October 7 attack and what Hamas was trying to accomplish. Of course, part of that involves a disproportionate Israeli military response that we have seen over the last two years, which Hamad and other senior Hamas officials knew would be the kind of heavy-handed, disproportionate response that they would get from Israel. And that’s why I focused so much on Hamas’ responsibility, its share of responsibility, at least, for all of the death and destruction that we have seen inside of the Gaza Strip as well.”
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