Hamas official calls on Palestinians abroad to kill Jews
Top Palestinian official in Gaza, Fathi Hammad, criticised for making antisemitic and genocidal remark
A senior Hamas official urged Palestinians abroad to kill Jews in Israel and beyond.
“All of you 7 million Palestinians abroad, enough of the warming up. You have Jews everywhere and we must attack every Jew on the globe by way of slaughter and killing, if God permits,” Fathi Hammad, a Hamas Cabinet minister until 2014, said Friday in a speech in Gaza.
A Hamas official in Gaza said Hammad’s views do not represent the official position of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist movement in the European Union and the United States, among other countries.
“These are personal statements that do not represent Hamas. They are no more than emotional comments that he may have said because of the killing of one of our members,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the Israeli press, told The Times of Israel. “Our problem is not with the Jews, but rather the occupation and the Zionist movement that is occupying Palestine.”
The Israeli military acknowledged that it killed a Hamas member at the Gaza border by mistake on Thursday, and Hamas threatened in a statement that “Israel will pay for its actions.”
Saeb Erekat, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee, on Monday condemned Hammad’s statements.
“The just values of the Palestinian cause include love for freedom, justice and equality,” Erekat tweeted Monday. “The repugnant statement of Hamas leader Mr. Fathi Hammad about Jews doesn’t represent any of them.”
Senior Hamas official Fathi Hammad speaking to Palestinians in the border region between Israel and the Gaza Strip on July 12, 2019. (Screenshot: YouTube)
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
