Brotherhood Figure Turns Against Hamas: October 7 Attack Was a Catastrophic Mistake
The stance of the Muslim Brotherhood toward Hamas and other Palestinian factions following the October 7, 2023 attack has been marked by significant shifts. Initially, the Brotherhood praised the operation, hailing it as “heroic” without acknowledging its deadly repercussions for civilians in Gaza or its wider regional consequences. Now, prominent figures linked to the Brotherhood are publicly criticizing the attack.
Among them is Abdullah al-Nafisi, a well-known Kuwaiti intellectual and former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who denounced the operation carried out by Hamas on October 7, which triggered one of the deadliest escalations in the Gaza conflict in recent memory.
In a televised interview, al-Nafisi, who has long advocated for the “resistance option”, described the attack as an “individual initiative” led by certain field commanders in Hamas, naming Yahya Sinwar, Marwan Issa, and Mohammed Deif. He claimed that the political leadership of Hamas was neither informed of nor involved in the decision-making process. “These individuals’ unilateral action created an Israeli reality that works against us,” he stated, according to Akhbar24.
Observers say al-Nafisi’s remarks reflect a clear attempt by the Brotherhood-aligned current to distance itself from the catastrophic outcomes of the assault—despite their initial endorsement. At the time, al-Nafisi had described Hamas as “the honor and conscience of the nation”, asserting that “occupation can only be removed through resistance.”
Analysts view this sudden reversal as part of the Brotherhood’s long-standing strategy: to adjust their positions based on political expediency, and to find tactical exits from crises in which they are accused of playing a role.
Similarly, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas political official, told The New York Times in an earlier interview that, had he known the scale of destruction the attack would unleash, he would not have supported it, calling it a “miscalculation” that brought great suffering to Gaza.
His comments sparked a strong backlash from Hamas, which claimed he did not speak for the movement, although many of its leaders are believed to recognize internally that there was a serious underestimation of Israel’s response and the global support it would receive in the aftermath of the October 7 attack.
