Hamas Denounces US National Security Adviser’s Claim That Israel Has Right to Defend Itself Amid Resumption of Gaza Offensive

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Hamas condemned remarks made by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, in which he stated that Israel has “every right to defend itself” and claimed Hamas “chose war” following the deadly resumption of its assault on Gaza.

“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists,” Waltz wrote on X on Friday.

“The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” the top Trump aide added.

Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists.

The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war.

— Mike Waltz (@MikeWaltz47) March 21, 2025

The Palestinian movement called his remarks “biased,” accusing him of equating the perpetrator with the victim and fully adopting the narrative of the occupation.

“The talk about “Israel’s right to defend itself” is a blatant distortion of reality. The occupier has no right to defend its occupation; it is, in fact, the aggressor,” it said in a statement.

“The ongoing Zionist aggression against our people for decades, and the crimes of genocide in Gaza, are what call for condemnation and accountability, not justification and support.”

“The claim that “Hamas chose war instead of releasing the hostages” is a distortion of the facts. The Palestinian resistance has presented clear initiatives for a ceasefire and a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal, but the occupation, led by Netanyahu, is the one who rejected them and intentionally sabotaged them to achieve its political interests, as acknowledged by the leaders of its own security apparatuses,” Hamas stated.

It added that the “talk about the possibility of extending the ceasefire if the resistance releases all prisoners deliberately ignores the fact that the occupation was not serious in implementing the terms of the ceasefire, did not adhere to any of its conditions, and continued with killing, starvation, and siege, which caused the understandings to fail and ruined the chances of extension.”

Hamas said his remarks again “reveal full partnership in the aggression against our people and complicity with the occupation in committing crimes of genocide, starvation, and siege against more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including thousands of children, women, and innocent civilians.”

The group also affirmed that the Palestinian resistance is “exercising its legitimate right to defend its people, land, and sanctities in the face of the occupation and aggression, and that attempts to distort the facts will not succeed in exonerating the occupation from its crimes, nor will they give Washington a moral cover for its biased policies.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also stated on Thursday that US President Donald Trump “fully supports” Israel’s resumption of genocide in Gaza.

“He fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they’ve taken in recent days,” Leavitt told reporters when asked if Trump was trying to get a Gaza ceasefire back on track.

“The president made it very clear to Hamas that if they did not release all of the hostages there would be all hell to pay, and unfortunately, Hamas chose to play games in the media with lives.”

Leavitt claimed the situation was “completely the fault of Hamas” for their October 7, 2023 operation on Israel, adding that Trump wants “all of those hostages” be released.

Since Tuesday morning, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 600 Palestinians and injured hundreds more. The Israeli attacks marked the collapse of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal that had begun on January 19, 2025. The first phase ended on March 1, 2025, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to proceed with the second phase.

Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court, sought to free more Israeli prisoners without fulfilling Israel’s commitments, including ending the war and withdrawing from Gaza. Hamas insisted on implementing the full agreement.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli assaults, backed by the United States, have killed and wounded over 161,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. More than 14,000 people remain missing under the rubble.