Watch: Jeremy Bowen presses Hamas deputy leader on 7 October attacks

The astir elder person of Hamas extracurricular Gaza has told the BBC that the situation his organisation provoked successful the Middle East, which has led to thousands of deaths crossed the portion successful the past year, is justified.

Challenged by BBC planetary exertion Jeremy Bowen, Khalil al-Hayya, the lawman person of Hamas, denied overwhelming grounds that Hamas fighters targeted civilians during the attacks connected 7 October past year.

Around 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, were killed and much than 250 taken into Gaza arsenic hostages. Hamas is designated arsenic a violent organisation by the UK and different governments.

Al-Hayya said the 7 October attacks past twelvemonth were indispensable to spot the contented of Palestinian statehood backmost connected the planetary agenda.

Pressed connected whether helium regretted an violative that led to the deaths of much than 40,000 Gazans successful Israeli attacks, helium said Israel’s concern of onshore Palestinians judge is theirs was astatine the basal of the unit and sidesplitting successful the Middle East.

Without it, helium said, the rhythm of unit successful the Middle East would not end. Al-Hayya is the astir elder antheral successful Hamas aft the leader, Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to beryllium successful Gaza.

The interrogation took spot successful Doha, wherever astir of the governmental enactment of Hamas is based. Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles astir an hr aft the interrogation was recorded.