Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy has said that Hamas cannot be held solely responsible for the consequences of the October 7, 2023 attacks, stressing that the Israeli occupation, which has lasted more than seven decades, remains the fundamental cause of the ongoing conflict.
Speaking during an interview on “Yahduth fi Misr” (Happening in Egypt) with Sherif Amer on MBC Masr on Wednesday night, Fahmy said Israel’s large-scale military assault on Gaza on October 8 was a direct reaction to the events of the previous day.
When asked whether Hamas should have foreseen the repercussions of its actions, Fahmy responded:
“If we apply the same reasoning, then why didn’t Israel consider the consequences of its occupation, which ultimately led to the events of October 7? Both actions are wrong and both are dangerous.”
The former diplomat warned that the situation in the West Bank is also deteriorating rapidly, citing the E1 settlement expansion, growing settler armament, and the Israeli Knesset’s recent approval of annexation measures as factors escalating tensions.
Fahmy further highlighted a noticeable shift in American public opinion regarding the Gaza conflict, saying that the ongoing humanitarian crisis and mounting civilian casualties are shaping perceptions more powerfully than political narratives.
“Images of destruction and loss of life speak louder than a thousand political speeches in the East or West,” he said. “No one in America now accepts the narrative that Israel is a vulnerable state fighting for survival while it kills more than 65,000 people in response to the deaths of 1,200.”
Concluding his remarks, Fahmy observed that Israel’s actions have become self-destructive.
“When I was recently asked about Israel’s greatest enemy,” he said, “I answered: Israel itself.”
