Hamas Celebrates 38 Years Since Founding, Cites 7 October as "Towering Achievement"

Hamas marked the 38th anniversary of its founding on Sunday by openly glorifying the October 7 massacre, hailing the mass killing of Israeli civilians as a historic achievement and vowing to continue its campaign of violence regardless of the cost to Palestinians.

In a statement released December 14, the terror organization described the October 7 attack, which it calls “Al-Aqsa Flood,” as a “towering milestone” and a defining moment in its effort to eliminate Israel.

“Al-Aqsa Flood was a towering milestone in our people’s march toward freedom and independence,” Hamas said, portraying the slaughter of civilians, kidnappings, and sexual violence as a legitimate act of “resistance” and a turning point in the conflict.

The group claimed Israel has failed to achieve its war aims and pledged to pursue its objectives “regardless of the sacrifices,” while praising what it called the “steadfastness” of Palestinians in Gaza — a population Hamas has ruled for nearly two decades and repeatedly endangered by embedding its military infrastructure among civilians.

Hamas rejected any form of international oversight or alternative governance for Gaza, insisting Palestinians alone should decide the territory’s future. It reiterated its demand for the release of Palestinian prisoners and urged mediators and the United States to enforce ceasefire frameworks, open border crossings, and expand humanitarian aid, while making no mention of releasing Israeli hostages still held by the group.

Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque were again framed as the core justification for the group’s violence, with Hamas declaring they would “remain purely Islamic,” a formulation that denies Jewish historical and religious ties to the city.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya reinforced the message in a separate speech, calling the October 7 massacre a model for future action. He claimed the attack shattered Israel’s deterrence, deepened internal divisions within Israeli society, and derailed regional normalization efforts.

Al-Hayya also boasted about growing international hostility toward Israel and legal efforts targeting Israeli officials abroad, presenting diplomatic isolation and legal warfare as strategic victories for the organization.

Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas is committed under its charter to Israel’s destruction and the establishment of an Islamic state from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. It refuses to recognize Israel and is designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and other governments.

The October 7, 2023 attack, in which approximately 1,200 people were murdered and hundreds abducted, triggered the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas — a war the group continues to celebrate rather than seek to end.