Hamas Official Celebrates October 7 as a "Historic Success" and Discusses Future Plans

Osama Hamdan, a senior official from Hamas, called the events of October 7 a "historic success" at a forum organized by Al Jazeera on Sunday. Hamdan described the attack as a triumph in which hundreds of Hamas operatives managed to dismantle and destroy the IDF's Gaza Division. He framed the attack as not only a victory but also a challenge, asking whether there was readiness for the battle ahead.

Hamdan also distanced himself from the current situation in Gaza, pointing to the significance of the attack in showcasing that Israel could be defeated. He presented a photo claiming to depict a situation where Hamas had successfully beaten the IDF, emphasizing that the group could strike Israel whenever it wished.

In a notable remark, Hamdan stated that Hamas did not request assistance from Hezbollah during the war but acknowledged that former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah offered military help.

When asked whether Hamas would share power with other militant factions within Gaza, Hamdan firmly rejected the idea, reinforcing Hamas's desire to maintain its dominance in the region.

However, in a surprising development, Hamas expressed a willingness to hand over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA), according to sources cited by Sky News Arabic. The sources reported that Hamas would allow PA to take over, with government employees either being absorbed into the new administration or retiring, with their salaries guaranteed. This shift allegedly follows significant pressure from Egypt during a Hamas delegation's visit to Cairo.

Meanwhile, Israel is sending a working group delegation to Cairo on Monday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.