The following statement was published on Resistance News Network on March 21, 2025.
In response to the biased statements made by the U.S. National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, which equate the oppressor with the victim and fully adopt the narrative of the occupation, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) affirms the following:
Talking about “israel’s right to defend itself” is a blatant distortion of reality. An occupier has no right to defend its occupation; rather, it is inherently the aggressor.
The ongoing zionist aggression against our people, spanning decades, and the genocidal crimes in Gaza are what require condemnation and accountability, not justification and support.
The claim that “Hamas chose war instead of releasing hostages” distorts the facts. The Palestinian resistance clearly proposed initiatives for a ceasefire and a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal. However, it was the occupation, led by [Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, that rejected these initiatives and intentionally sabotaged them to serve its political interests, a fact acknowledged by the leaders of its own security services.
The notion of extending the ceasefire if the resistance released all captives deliberately ignores the reality that the occupation was never serious about implementing the terms of the truce, failed to comply with any of its conditions and continued its policies of killing, starvation and siege. This undermined the understandings and destroyed any opportunity for an extension.
The U.S. statements once again expose the complete partnership in aggression against our people and complicity with the occupation in committing crimes of genocide, starvation and siege against over two million Palestinians in Gaza, including thousands of innocent children, women and civilians.
We affirm that the Palestinian resistance is exercising its legitimate right to defend its people, land and sacred sites against occupation and aggression. Attempts to distort reality will neither absolve the occupation of its crimes nor grant Washington moral cover for its biased policies.
Attempts to distort reality will fail, and history will record those who stood with justice and those who colluded with murder.
The statement was lightly edited.