North Carolina Islamic scholar Dr. Hisham Sarsour said in a November 24, 2023 lecture at the Islamic Association of Raleigh which was streamed live on its YouTube channel that the bulk of Israeli civilians killed on October 7 were killed by Israeli fire. He said that the “resistance” posted videos of their achievements on day one, while the Zionists were spreading lies that they killed civilians, babies, and “did this to women.” Sarsour said that Hamas only killed soldiers and took them hostage, that houses in the “colonial settlements” in the Gaza Envelope were burned by civilians from Gaza who came to take booty, and that most of the Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli air and tank fire. He said that it is “most logical” that 800-900 Israeli soldiers were killed and taken hostage, and only 200 civilians.
