Alaa Mubarak: If October 7 Operation Is Victory, What Then Is Defeat?

Alaa Mubarak expressed surprise at recent remarks made by Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas leader, who said he regretted the October 7 operation and that if he had known the extent of the destruction it would cause, he would not have supported it.

Alaa Mubarak wrote on his official social media account on X: "This is a strange and truly shocking statement. What did you expect after the October 7 operation? What do you say to those who went out celebrating and called it a victory? The result of this ‘victory’ has been unprecedented devastation in the Gaza Strip, thousands of martyrs, and tens of thousands of innocent children killed without any crime."

He added: "Thousands of wounded and injured, families completely destroyed under rubble, and a large number of children who lost their hands or feet! If this is victory, then what does defeat look like?"

Alaa Mubarak also shared a video of Mohammad Shtayyeh, former Palestinian Prime Minister, speaking about the October 7 attack. In the video, Shtayyeh states: "Every adventure must have a calculated end because if Hamas, as brother (Mousa) Abu Marzouk said, was prepared to hide its members in tunnels, it clearly disregarded the citizens and took no account of consequences. That is why I say October 7, in short, was not a well-calculated move."

This post by Alaa Mubarak triggered diverse reactions. One user criticized him, writing: "Shame on you, Mr. Alaa, for supporting such a statement. Your father was a hero of the October War who liberated Sinai. It is acceptable to oppose Hamas, but when it comes to the killing of our brothers in Palestine, we must stand united against our enemy and criticize later."

In response, Alaa Mubarak said: "There is no doubt that we are all united against the occupying regime, but we must use our reason and not live in the illusion that October 7 was a victory!"

These remarks come amid widespread political and social debates over the consequences of the October 7 operation, an operation that caused significant human damage in Gaza and sparked differing views on whether the event was a victory or a disaster.