Watch: Jeremy Bowen presses Hamas deputy leader on 7 October attacks

The most senior leader of Hamas outside Gaza has told the BBC that the crisis his organisation provoked in the Middle East, which has led to thousands of deaths across the region in the last year, is justified.

Challenged by BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen, Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas, denied overwhelming evidence that Hamas fighters targeted civilians during the attacks on 7 October last year.

Around 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, were killed and more than 250 taken into Gaza as hostages. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK and other governments.

Al-Hayya said the 7 October attacks last year were necessary to place the issue of Palestinian statehood back on the global agenda.

Pressed on whether he regretted an offensive that led to the deaths of more than 40,000 Gazans in Israeli attacks, he said Israel’s occupation of land Palestinians believe is theirs was at the root of the violence and killing in the Middle East.

Without it, he said, the cycle of violence in the Middle East would not end. Al-Hayya is the most senior man in Hamas after the leader, Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be in Gaza.

The interview took place in Doha, where most of the political leadership of Hamas is based. Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles around an hour after the interview was recorded.