Gaza Political Activist Jamil Abdul-Nabi: October 7 Was A Miscalculated Step That Destroyed Our People; Hamas Is A Complete Failure, It Must Disband And Disappear From The Palestinian Scene

Memri

a day ago

Gaza political activist and former Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) official Jamil Abdul-Nabi said in an August 9, 2025 interview with Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) that resistance should not be driven by emotions or by impulses of vengeance. He said that in Gaza today, Hamas's support has dropped to less than 1 in 100 or even 1 in 1,000, and that anti-Hamas sentiment is growing. Referring to October 7 as a "miscalculated step" that led to "the destruction of our people," Abdul-Nabi said that an apology is not enough and that Hamas must "pay for its sins" by disappearing from the Palestinian scene. He said Hamas must declare that it is disbanding, because it has failed in resistance, in governance, and in war. He also criticized Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, whom Abdul-Nabi knew from prison, where they shared a cell for a year, for saying "Even if they kill 10,000, 20,000, or 100,000 of us..." in a cavalier tone, as if speaking about a handful of dollars.
Interviewer: "Was October 7 a sin committed by Hamas?"
Jamil Abdul-Nabi: "Absolutely. Resistance should not be driven by emotions. It should not be impulsive or vengeful. Resistance that is not driven by clear political goals is futile and might become nihilistic.
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"Reckless resistance can lead us to disaster, and this is what happened on October 7. Resistance must consider the outcome, the consequences.
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"I'm not exaggerating when I say that throughout the Gaza Strip, not even one of every 100 – or even 1000 – people I come across are supporting Hamas now. Today, the position of people in the Gaza Strip is much more anti-Hamas than what Hamas believes, because they are the ones who have paid the real price, and they are familiar with the real outcome of this war.
"Hamas's rhetoric, my dear brother... Every statement by Hamas leaders turns into joke material among the Gazans here.
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"What happened happened. We cannot go back in time. [Hamas] took this miscalculated step, which led to the destruction of our people, so at the very least, you should make us feel that it has some regrets.
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"Apology is not enough. Hamas needs to bear the responsibility and pay for its sin. For me personally, the price cannot be anything less than the disappearance of Hamas from the Palestinian scene. Enough. Hamas needs to be gone. Hamas needs to declare that it is disbanding, because it has failed. Hamas failed in resistance, failed in governance, failed in war, and failed in everything.
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"Hamas's insistence to double down on its rhetoric makes us feel that our tears mean nothing to this movement. We are zero to them.
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"When [Ghazi] Hamad says: 'Even if they kill 10,000, 20,000, or 100,000 or us...' What is this? What is he talking about? How can he be so cavalier when talking about people's lives? What does Ghazi Hamad think of the Palestinian people? Is he talking about a handful of dollars?
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"Should Hamas be held accountable? Yes, it should. The Palestinians, like any nation, have the right to hold their leaders accountable when they expose them to danger of such scope. It is inconceivable that a tragedy like this will pass, and we will not have the right to call to account the people who brought this tragedy upon us. Inconceivable. Future will tell whether we can hold Hamas accountable or not.
"It could be that we will not be able to do this, but when I say that Hammas must leave – that's the minimal [requirement]. At the very least, Hamas should leave us, because it has failed in leading the Palestinian cause, failed in leading the resistance, failed in governing [Gaza], failed in everything. People who fail need to step down."