Senior Hamas leader suddenly leaves CNN interview when asked about accountability for civilian casualties in Gaza

During a CNN interview on Saturday, Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan abruptly ended the conversation when questioned about the group’s responsibility for civilian casualties in Gaza. The exchange grew tense after Hamdan was asked if Hamas regretted its October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli civilians.

Gaza Health Ministry officials have reported that the ongoing conflict has resulted in 40,000 Palestinian deaths, with the majority being civilians.

In response to the questions, Hamdan accused CNN’s Jim Sciutto, reporting from Tel Aviv, of siding with Israel in the decades-long conflict. “It seems to me you are giving the Israelis the right to kill Palestinians when you ask if we feel regret for what Israel has done,” Hamdan stated. He argued that Israel has been killing Palestinians for the last 76 years and accused Sciutto of viewing the conflict solely through “Israeli eyes.”

The exchange grew more heated as Sciutto challenged Hamdan’s claims, stating that CNN had closely covered Palestinian civilian deaths in the 2008 and 2014 Gaza conflicts. Sciutto pressed Hamdan on whether Hamas accepts any responsibility for the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but Hamdan avoided giving a direct answer and instead criticized Israel’s actions over the years.

The interview highlights the deep divisions and ongoing violence in the region, which began on October 7 with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Since then, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 92,000 have been injured. Additionally, more than 85% of Gaza’s population has been displaced, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between civilians and militants.

Here is the full video:

By Kate Stephenson
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