Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said that the tunnels built by Hamas are meant to protect and hold terrorists, and not civilians, in an interview that was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
"We have built the tunnels because we have no other way of protecting ourselves from being targeted and killed," he claimed. "These tunnels are meant to protect us from airplanes. We are fighting inside the tunnels."
The video was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, and can be watched below:
Hamas Official Mousa Abu Marzouk: The Tunnels in Gaza Were Built to Protect Hamas Fighters, Not Civilians; Protecting Gaza Civilians Is the Responsibility of the U.N. and Israel #Hamas #Gaza pic.twitter.com/LlIVcQX6dt
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) October 30, 2023
Marzouk's statements were in response to questions about why Hamas constructed over 500 kilometers of tunnels, according to the interviewer, and have not invested that effort into constructing bomb shelters.
"Everybody knows that 75% of the people in the Gaza Strip are refugees, and it is the responsibility of the United Nations to protect them," he continued.
"According to the Geneva Conventions, it is the responsibility of the occupation to provide them with all the services as long as they are under occupation."
Tunnels constructed were also under hospitals, terrorists say
Marzouk's statements come a few days after two Hamas terrorists under interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the IDF admitted that Hamas terrorists have hidden under hospitals in Gaza, most notably Al-Shifa hospital, where their tunnels and operation rooms are also located, according to the IDF.
The two terrorists were captured on October 7 after the massacre.