A previous version of the Hamas manifesto, “Our Narrative: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” circulated online and was sometimes distributed on university campuses.
On Wednesday, Hamas released a version of the October 7 massacre titled “Our Narrative… The Al-Aqsa Flood: Two Years of Determination and the Will to Liberate.”
The document describes the October 7 massacre, known as the “Aqsa Flood,” as more than just a military operation and portrays it as a decisive historical moment.
Divided into eight chapters, it sets out the motivations and background for the October 7 massacre, the events of that day and the investigation into what Hamas calls the “attack.”
Other chapters focus on the course of the Israel-Hamas war, what Hamas calls a “diplomatic” exercise, and the priorities of the current phase of the war.
The 42-page document reiterates Hamas’ political demands, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of Palestinian refugees.
On October 7, 2025, demonstrators participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, USA, on the second anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel. (Image source: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON)
Hamas previous propaganda narrative document for October 7
In early 2024, Hamas published “Our Narrative: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” which gave its version of events surrounding the October 7 massacre and the Israel-Hamas war.
The document was widely circulated online and in print. The document has reportedly been circulated on university campuses in the United States and Europe, appearing in student forums and protest venues.
It has been criticized for questioning or omitting widely documented terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and for describing them in ideological and political terms.
Hamas’ continued use of the term “Aqsa floods” reflects the same framework in the new document.
In the new document, Hamas did not mention specific allegations of the killing of civilians, sexual violence or hostage-taking during the Oct. 7 massacre.
Ohad Melin contributed to this report.