Senior Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan denied in an NRK television interview aired between 10:46 PM UTC on February 12 and 12:45 AM UTC on February 13, 2026, that Hamas killed civilians on October 7, claiming Israel carried out the Nova festival massacre and fabricated eyewitness accounts and bodycam footage, according to an X post by @chalavyishmael summarizing the interview. Hamdan stated Hamas has never targeted civilians, hospitals, schools, or mosques, attributing all civilian deaths to Israel. He justified Hamas's beatings, torture, and public executions of Palestinians accused of collaboration as lawful under Palestinian law, including within 48 hours. Hamdan rejected disarmament unless Israel withdraws to 1967 lines with mass right of return and international guarantees, and refused to rule out future attacks on Israel. Hamdan claimed Hamas's 2006 election victory provides democratic legitimacy, despite no elections since and most Gazans not being alive then. He insisted Palestinians in Gaza can freely criticize Hamas without fear, blamed Israel entirely for Gaza's destruction, and refused to accept any Hamas responsibility for initiating the war, as detailed in the NRK interview timestamps cited by @chalavyishmael on X. Separately, Al Jadeed News reported anticipation and comments from the Sunni street regarding Saad Hariri's return to Beirut via an X post by @ALJADEEDNEWS during the reporting window, building on prior Future Movement marches commemorating Rafic Hariri and declarations of loyalty from Qabb Ilyas, as noted in previous reports.
