Gaza religious leaders in dispute over Hamas attack on Israel

The Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war has stirred debate among the enclave's Palestinian clerics, with some saying it was not worth the heavy civilian death toll and others declaring the Oct. 7, 2023 assault was a Muslim duty.

Responding to questions sent by Gazans on an online messaging platform, prominent preacher Suleiman Al-Dayya said Muslim leaders should avoid going into battles if the harm inflicted upon civilians was greater than the gains.

He said warriors should question the wisdom of fighting if it increased the harm to religion, life, honour, children or wealth or the seizure of land, let alone the destruction of the "foundations of life".

Dayya's views are well respected in Gaza among both ordinary residents and Islamists, and he also has influence with Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

A former senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest Islamist movement in the Arab world, he was also close to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, before pursuing a more moderate form of Islam.

"When it becomes highly likely that the objectives and aims of jihad will not be achieved due to the absence or deficiency of its pillars, causes, or conditions, it must be avoided," said Dayya.

The 2023 attack on Israel, which shattered Israel's aura of invincibility, marked the country's bloodiest day in its history, with 1,200 people killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel responded with its most destructive offensive in Gaza, killing nearly 40,000 people and wounding 103,898, according to the Gaza health ministry (Hamas), and turning the Strip into a wasteland of rubble with millions desperate for food, fuel, water and sanitation.

Late on Monday, a statement issued in the name of "a group of clerics" in Gaza defended the assault as a "legitimate act and a fulfillment of the duty of jihad, with no doubt about its legitimacy."

"However, was the timing of the decision a mistake in judgment, as it led to this destructive war afterward, or was it appropriate due to specific circumstances known to the fighters, for example? This is a matter open to consideration," the statement said.

"But such consideration and placing of blame are not appropriate during the war; they should come afterward, as it serves no purpose now and rather harms," it added.

In their statement, the clerics' group said they appreciated Dayya's opinion and religious status but they cautioned his verdict could be misunderstood and could affect the spirit of ordinary Palestinians as well as fighters.

Some Gazans are also questioning the wisdom of Hamas staging an attack that led to Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza, which was already struggling with widespread poverty and high unemployment before the war erupted.

For Israelis and their Western allies, Hamas is a terrorist group which has fired missiles at them and staged suicide bombings.

Hamas' supporters regard its fighters as heroes leading the fight for Palestinian statehood, which had drifted off the international agenda.

Israel, which has assassinated several top Hamas leaders, has vowed to destroy the group.