Former Haniyeh Advisor Ahmed Yousef: Hamas Abroad Is Tone Deaf To Gaza's Suffering; October 7 Was A Miscalculated Failure – Mistakes Were Made; Palestinians Should Use Victim Narrative To Influence U.S. Audience
Ahmed Yousef, former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, said in a May 31, 2025 interview with Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) from a tent in the Gaza Strip that the October 7 attack was miscalculated and unsuccessful.
He criticized Hamas's political leadership abroad for being tone-deaf to the suffering of Palestinians remaining in Gaza, accusing them of using euphoric terminology to portray the people as heroes instead of victims.
Yousef remarked that he had studied in the West for 20 years, understands Western mentality well, and knows it is not an "infinite evil." He said America is changing, and Palestinians should invest more money in portraying themselves as victims, and therefore as deserving of statehood.