Abbas’ advisor: Hamas’ massacre and launch of war on Oct. 7 was “legitimate resistance”
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "Regarding] what happened on Oct. 7, [2023,] what Hamas carried out on Oct. 7 (i.e., Hamas' massacre and launch of terror war on Israel), I start from the assumption that resistance is legitimate. We agreed from the start that the resistance is legitimate, and no one can dispute the legitimacy of the resistance... What happened on Oct. 7 is a legitimate thing, okay? It's legitimate, but its consequences? …60,000 people were killed, 150,000 were wounded, and 90% of the Gaza Strip was destroyed. This makes the thing illegitimate. Therefore, what Hamas carried out in terms of its consequences is illegitimate, because it led to catastrophic consequences."
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash, YouTube channel, March 11, 2025]