Norwegian journalist Yama Wolasmal interviewed Hamas leader Osama Hamdan 5 weeks into the war, from the safety of the latter’s hideout in Lebanon.
The interview is quite remarkable, not because Hamdan is caught blatantly lying, but that the journalist catches him in the lies and then bravely confronts him about them.
From the very outset, Hamdan is not being honest. When asked why Hamas perpetrated October 7, he suggests it is to “revive the palestinian cause” after Israel was doing things like “Judaizing Jerusalem” and building more post-1967 “settlements” – as if they are not trying to forcibly remove all Jews from the entirety of the state of Israel.
Here #Hamdan makes it sound like #Oct7 was just to "revive the palestinian cause" in reaction to #Israel "judaizing Jerusalem" and building post 1967 "settlements" – as if they do not want to drive us from ENTIRETY of Israel https://t.co/xcNZmxM5Vb pic.twitter.com/rVbKVQpC50
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
Hamdan is more honest when asked if he is proud of October 7. He says he is, and refers to the “Israeli occupation” for the last 75 years, indicating their problem is with all of Israel. Note also he mentions the “British occupation” going back more than 100 years, even though back then, it was more a Pan-Arab ideal being sought, with many Arab leaders maintaining that ‘Palestine’ should join a larger Arab state covering the Levant.
Hamdan is more honest when asked if he is proud of October 7. He says he is, and refers to the "Israeli occupation" for the last 75 years, indicating their problem is with all of Israel. Note also he mentions the "British occupation" going back 100+ years, even though back then,… https://t.co/S3wu2T6YlM pic.twitter.com/hwKuIDGemm
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
Now we get to the clip that has been doing the rounds. Hamdan compares Oct 7 to the fall of the Berlin wall, and says “everyone did whatever he has done,” already trying to deny responsibility for any atrocities that occurred. But Wolasmal won’t have it, asking Hamdan incredulously whether Hamas didn’t kill any civilians that day. What we get next is the Hamas equivalent of “the dog ate my homework” – on steroids.
Hamdan initially claims Hamas fighters had clear instructions on October 7 to target only soldiers (specifically people with weapons) and not women, children, and old men.
He is then asked about the bodycam footage of Hamas fighters shooting at civilians. Hamdan denies such footage exists.
So Wolasmal shows footage of Hamas terrorist shooting at people in a civilian car. Hamdan responds by trying to cast doubt on them being civilians, despite the lack of weapons and the fact they were in a civilian car.
So Wolasmal shows Hamdan another video, this time of Hamas terrorists shooting into houses. Hamdan now pivots again, this time claiming some of the civilians are members of the army.
After Wolasmal again pushes back, stating that these were clearly civilian houses being attacked, Hamdan changes his tune, now claiming they were ‘”settlers,” who are not civilians according to international law.
When Wolasmal asks if that means it is ok to kill them, Hamdan – realizing again this is not sounding good – says no, but with the caveat that it is ok to shoot them if these “settlers” shot first.
Wolasmal points out that their houses were being attacked, to which Hamdan now claims the Hamas terrorists merely entered the area, without attacking anyone, and only killed people after residents shot at them.
Here is the video you have probably already seen, in which #OsamaHamdan lies and keeps changing his answers as he is confronted with indisputable facts about what #Hamas did not #Oct7. It is like "the dog ate my homework" on steroids https://t.co/3GVbwf3MM7 pic.twitter.com/Kaw1BM1HrC
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
When asked why Hamas kidnapped civilian hostages “in direct breach of the Geneva convention”, Hamdan again denies responsibility, claiming Hamas did not kidnap any civilians, but rather it was other Gazans who did so in the chaos and – wait for it – Hamas are trying to retrieve them. He also blames Israel for not accepting the (clearly unreasonable) deals to get the hostages back, even though reports are that Hamas keeps knocking back potential ceasefire deals. He also has the temerity to suggest Hamas treated well children initially captured, even though we know otherwise.
When asked why #Hamas kidnapped civilian hostages "in direct breach of the Geneva convention", #OsamaHamdan again denies responsibility, claiming Hamas did not kidnap any civilians, but rather it was other Gazans who did so and – wait for it – Hamas are trying to retrieve them.… https://t.co/sbvScdYOLm pic.twitter.com/3hSsbMQMUJ
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
The ever brave Wolasmal then asks Hamdan why Hamas brought suffering on the palestinian people, given surely they must have known Israel would respond harshly. Naturally, Hamdan won’t accept responsibility, instead blaming everything on the “occupation.”
The ever brave Wolasmal then asks Hamdan why #Hamas brought suffering on the palestinian people, given surely they must have known #Israel would respond harshly. Naturally, Hamdan won't accept responsibility, instead blaming everything on the "occupation." https://t.co/BgJOI0RV83 pic.twitter.com/JAsVSnFvrn
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
Wolasmal continues to ask the right questions, this time turning his attention to the idea Hamas is using human shields. Naturally, Hamdan keeps on lying, denying they use human shields despite all the evidence, while – in a classic case of projection – claiming Israel deliberately targets civilians . He denies Hamas use hospitals (again despite all the evidence), and claims a tunnel we discovered was actually just a place where network cables are stored!
Wolasmal continues to ask the right questions, this time turning his attention to the idea #Hamas is using human shields. Naturally, Hamdan keeps on lying, denying they use human shields, while claiming #Israel deliberately targets civilians. He denies Hamas use hospitals, and… https://t.co/Wve9ZsJhnR pic.twitter.com/E8lCX0kJGx
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
The chutzpah-and-lie-fest continues, when Hamdan is asked why Hamas do not have bomb shelters for their civilians and why Hamas only allows its terrorists in the tunnels and not civilians. He starts by trying to avoid the question, claiming the fact there is a need for bomb shelters in Gaza proves Israel is targeting civilians. When Wolasmal points out Hamas fires rockets at Israel, who do have bomb shelters, he claims it is for the civilians’ own safety they are not allowed in to the tunnels, before implicitly blaming the international community for the lack of bomb shelters and tunnels to protect civilians (despite the huge amount of aid flowing in and being used and abused by Hamas for their terror complex).
The lie-fest continues, when Hamdan is asked why #Hamas do not have bomb shelters for their civilians like #Israel has for ours, and why Hamas only allows its terrorists in the tunnels and not civilians. He won't answer why they did not build bomb shelters, instead implying it is… https://t.co/Tl8rKth6hV pic.twitter.com/tWC9wueAfh
— 🎗️ David Lange (@Israellycool) May 6, 2024
Finally, when asked whether Hamas want to wipe Israel off the map, Hamdan again engages in classic projection, claiming that is what Israel is trying to do to the palestinians, before bizarrely trying to distinguish between “dismantling” Israel and “wiping.” He also wants us to believe that the same people who have promised to commit many more October 7s would allow Jews to live peacefully under their rule – not that we do not already have experience as to what having them in charge of just our holy sites looks like.
Remember, this is a senior figure in the same organization whose casualty numbers are being cited by the mainstream media and others as the Gospel.
