Hamas militants at the Erez Crossing on October 7 after a barrage of rockets was fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel. Reuters
Hamas militants at the Erez Crossing on October 7 after a barrage of rockets was fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel. Reuters

Hamas's October 7 attack should have been avoided, says fatwa by Gaza Islamic scholar



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An Islamic scholar from Gaza has said last year's Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked the continuing devastating war that has so far killed tens of thousands, should have been avoided as it was clear that it would have dire repercussions on Palestinians.

Dr Salman Al Dayeh, the former dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Hamas-run Islamic University in Gaza, published a detailed six-page fatwa, in which he criticised the Al Aqsa Flood operation, as the October 7 attack is called by Hamas, for what he called actions “violating the Islamic principles governing jihad”.

“If the pillars, reasons, or conditions of jihad are not present, then it must be avoided so as not to destroy people’s lives, and this is something that politicians in our country can easily guess, so the attack had to be avoided,” he added.

He referred to previous Israeli attacks on the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip that "were much lighter than the October 7, and were met with numbers of martyrs and wounded, the demolition of houses and towers and the displacement of people."

"So, it was obvious that the reaction [of Israel] to a greater event will be more damaging to the soul, property and the components of life [in Gaza]," he said. "If the war ends this evening, its pains will last for decades."

Independent Gazan analyst Ahmad Bassiouni told The National that Dr Al Dayeh's fatwa is "significant", yet not considered a condemnation, but rather a criticism of rationale that Hamas used to carry out its attacks.

"He is still legitimising the concept of the resistance but questioning what the end goal is given how much has been lost in lives, damage. Even jihad, in a religious context, has to have concrete, tangible results that overcome the losses incurred."

Mr Bassiouni said that more people are coming out to criticise the militant group because it has become on "equal footing" with the people. "Their members are suffering like ordinary Gazans are, and are staying in the same tents we do," so Hamas's "prestige" has been hit, he said.

Ahmad Yousef, a former adviser to assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, has also criticised the group, Mr Bassiouni said, along with several other Hamas-linked officials.

The Gaza war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 43,500 Palestinians and reduced most of the enclave to rubble, Palestinian authorities say.

A poll conducted in early September found that most Gazans now believe Hamas's decision to launch last year's attack on Israel was a mistake.

The poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), showed that 57 per cent of people in the Gaza Strip said the decision to launch the offensive was incorrect, while 39 per cent said it was correct.

It marked the first time since the attack that a PSR poll found a majority of Gazan respondents judging the decision as incorrect. It was accompanied by a drop in support for the attack in the West Bank, although a majority there – 64 per cent of respondents – still thought it was the correct decision, the poll found.

Hamas is facing pressure on many fronts, including major military setbacks such as Israel's killing of its top leader Yahya Sinwar. The group's political leadership has also reportedly been asked to leave Qatar, where some of its senior officials reside, two sources told The National on Saturday.

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Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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'Moonshot'

Director: Chris Winterbauer

Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse 

Rating: 3/5

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

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Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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Dubai World Cup nominations

UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer

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Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.

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Name: ARDH Collective
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
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Number of employees: 4
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Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

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Updated: November 10, 2024, 5:39 AM

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