Introduction

Marking two years since the outbreak of the current war in Gaza, Hamas published an updated propaganda document aimed at shaping public perception rather than conveying factual reality. The document seeks to present Hamas as the unified voice of the Palestinian people across all factions and social layers. It is titled “Al Aqsa Flood: Two Years of Steadfastness and the Will to Be Liberated.”

This publication is an updated version of a similar document released by Hamas approximately two years earlier.

Framing and Core Narrative

In its opening statement, Hamas praises the resilience of Gaza’s population and portrays Israel’s military campaign as a continuous colonial project dating back to 1948. According to Hamas, this alleged colonial effort has culminated in what it describes as genocide in Gaza. Hamas claims that, like all occupations, the Zionist project is destined to collapse as a result of Palestinian resistance.

It is important to note that Hamas is a designated terrorist organization that openly calls for the destruction of a sovereign state with international legitimacy, established diplomatic relations, and a strong economy.

Structure of the Document

Hamas divides the document into eight chapters, each advancing a specific propaganda theme.

1. Claimed Causes of the October 7 Massacre

Hamas attributes the October 7 attack to what it describes as Zionist efforts to eliminate the Palestinian issue through displacement, the failure of the Oslo Accords, the rise of the far right in Israel, alleged Israeli actions at Islamic holy sites such as the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the blockade of Gaza.

Additional factors cited include the suffering of Palestinian prisoners, the failure of the international community, and the continuation of what Hamas defines as the Palestinian revolution since 1920.

2. Hamas’s Description of the October 7 Attack

Hamas presents the October 7 attack on Israeli communities surrounding Gaza as a legitimate act of resistance. According to the organization, the Palestinian people are willing to sacrifice a significant portion of their sons out of faith and conviction that such actions represent the path to liberation and the defense of honor.

Hamas further claims that defending Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque justifies any cost and asserts that its actions on October 7 were supported by the entire Palestinian people. This claim is false. Salafi factions in Gaza and other Palestinian groups opposed the attack.

Hamas describes October 7 as a “historic crossing day” toward Israeli communities near Gaza.

3. Denial of Crimes and Disinformation

Hamas calls for what it describes as exposing the “truth” behind October 7. It denies that its operatives committed rape or murdered women and children, arguing that such allegations are part of an Israeli propaganda campaign. Hamas further claims that harming civilians contradicts Islam and Palestinian national values.

These claims are demonstrably false. Hamas operatives documented the murder of civilians using body cameras, including infants, women, and the elderly. The organization also abducted numerous civilians to Gaza while filming the kidnappings and executed some captives in tunnels or enroute to them.

Following these denials, Hamas accuses Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza and cites Israeli strikes on hospitals as evidence. This is another false claim. Hamas systematically used hospitals, schools, and mosques to store weapons, launch rockets, and shelter operatives, deliberately endangering its own civilian population.

4. Hamas’s Portrayal of the War in Gaza

Hamas accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing, citing casualty figures exceeding 67,100 killed and 169,500 wounded, alleging the killing of journalists, and claiming the detention of approximately 3,400 Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas routinely inflates casualty figures as part of a broader propaganda campaign. These figures make no distinction between civilians and combatants, are issued by Hamas controlled bodies, lack independent verification, and often contradict one another.

Hamas further boasts of its war of attrition against Israel and claims that Gaza’s population supports Hamas without hesitation. This claim is false. Many Gazans who criticized Hamas were tortured and executed. In addition, Salafi religious scholars in Gaza oppose Hamas’s strategy, including its alliance with Iran.

5. Ceasefire Efforts and the Trump Plan

Hamas portrays itself as cooperating with mediators and ceasefire initiatives while accusing Israel of undermining these efforts, including in the context of the Trump Plan.

6. Claimed Achievements of Hamas

Hamas lists numerous alleged achievements, including placing the Palestinian issue at the center of global attention, isolating Israel internationally, undermining Israeli public confidence in security, damaging Israel’s image as a democracy, increasing boycotts, pursuing legal actions against Israeli officials, disrupting normalization processes, and strengthening the Palestinian narrative worldwide.

It further claims increased international recognition of a Palestinian state, widespread solidarity demonstrations, and a shift in global public opinion against Israel.

7. The Claim That Hamas Cannot Be Isolated

Hamas argues that attempts to isolate it are doomed to failure, claiming it is an inseparable part of Palestinian society, was democratically elected in 2006, and enjoys majority support for armed resistance.

This claim is false. Hamas has not been re-elected since 2006 and has suppressed Palestinian opposition through repression, torture, executions, and silencing dissent. There is documented internal Palestinian opposition to the October 7 attacks, including among Salafi factions, families in Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank, and the diaspora.

8. Hamas’s Vision for the Palestinian Future

Hamas calls for a comprehensive national vision including a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction of Gaza, the release of all security prisoners, removal of the blockade, establishment of an independent administration in Gaza, protection of Jerusalem and the West Bank, reorganization of Palestinian factions under the PLO, opposition to normalization with Israel, legal action through international institutions, and strengthened ties with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.

Conclusion

Hamas concludes by asserting that for global audiences, “Al Aqsa Flood” was not merely a military event but a moment of awakening and rebirth.

This document is a Hamas propaganda product, not a historical analysis. Hamas seeks to frame its actions as defensive, while the facts demonstrate otherwise: the deliberate targeting of civilians, kidnappings, the use of human shields, and the exploitation of schools, hospitals, and mosques as weapons depots are hallmarks of a terrorist organization, not of a liberation movement.

Hamas does not represent all Palestinians, neither in 2006 nor today. It suppresses opposition and denies freedom of expression. The narrative it seeks to embed in public consciousness is built on falsehoods, unverified data, and historical distortions.