We are focusing today on the making of a news-making moment.

It happened just a week ago. And we all saw it. But we may have missed what it really was. So let’s take another look.

In the last week of last month, one of Hamas’ few remaining senior leaders agreed to be interviewed on CNN. As the cameras rolled, CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reminded Hamas’s Ghazi Hamad that his Palestinian health ministry says more than 65,000 Gaza Palestinians have been killed – and hundreds of thousands more displaced and homeless – as Israel retaliated massively for Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in which Hamas’ troops slaughtered, abused and kidnapped innocent Israeli civilians.

“Do you accept any responsibility for triggering so much death and destruction?” Diamond asked. And Hamad responded by predictably reciting the history of the Israeli-Gaza conflict. Then Hamad asked: “Now why the world is so focused on October 7?”

It sounded like another ho-hum Middle East time waster. But then CNN’s Diamond pushed to beyond the conventional Q&As. “Before October 7, Israel had never unleashed this level of death and destruction on Gaza before,” CNN’s correspondent followed up. “How can you look at me with a straight face and tell me that you accept no responsibility whatsoever for what has happened in the two years since?”

The Hamas official replied that this was the “first time that Palestinians have shown sacrifice in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.” That’s “sacrifice” as in they got killed because of what Hamas had done.

Diamond pressed on: “What gives you the right to decide that Palestinian women and children should be sacrificed on the altar of your resistance? … And what gives you the right to decide it's a price worth paying?”

Time out: That’s the moment I was thinking that our regular readers may well remember that one week after that initial Oct. 7, 2023 attack – and in many columns ever since – I’ve laid out evidence in which Hamas leaders seemed determined to goad Israel into mounting a massive – and excessive – retaliation. The world would see Israel killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. I quoted Hamas leaders who had civilian deaths called a noble “sacrifice” that would finally turn the world against Israel.

That was why Hamas dug all those tunnels and facilities beneath Gaza’s civilian apartment buildings – to hide their troops' living quarters, headquarters and arsenals. Hamas fighters planned to attack Israel, flee and hide beneath the Palestinian civilians they claimed to be protecting. The only way for Israel to kill their attackers would be to first kill the civilians living peacefully above their Hamas protectors.

And lo, it came to pass. Israel killed Gaza civilians, blocked aid and food. World opinion – overwhelmingly backing Israel after Oct. 7 – turned overwhelmingly against Israel. Antisemitism is today rampant around the world.

Hamas’ human shield plan was a blatant war crime, according to Geneva conventions. Yet the United Nations, including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, failed to move vigorously to prevent Hamas' underground plot that became their prelude to today’s tragedy.

Hamad told CNN: “We don't want our people to be killed. Don't put the problem on the shoulders of Hamas.”

But CNN’s correspondent rolled a video in which two Gazan civilians urged Hamas to “stop gambling with us.” And that was the moment Hamad shifted gears. “I know people are suffering,” he said. “There are some people who blame Hamas.”

CNN’s Diamond said: “These people … want Hamas to surrender…and leave the Gaza Strip. What do you say to them?

Hamad began by saying, “We will never surrender.” But then he began talking about “the benefit of October 7” – it was when, last week, UN delegates walked out on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he was delivering his address to a virtually empty General Assembly.

“People opened their eyes and looked to the atrocity, the brutality of Israel, and all of them, they condemned Israel,” Hamad said. “We waited for this moment for 77 years. I think this is a golden moment for the world …The history is changed now.”

“Was it worth it?” Diamond asked. He noted that Europe and many Arab nations now support President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and “want Hamas to disarm.

"Are you willing to abandon power in Gaza and lay down your weapons?" Diamond asked.

And the world heard Hamad say something no Hamas leader ever publicly said: “Look, Hamas is part of the Palestinian fabric... We are ready to be out of the ruling of Gaza. We have no problem with this.”

Not all Hamas officials are willing to repeat Hamad’s position. At least not publicly, yet. But you may have just read tomorrow’s breaking news.

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