The barbaric attack by a Palestinian Muslim on a Jewish family living in the West Bank settlement of Itamar on Saturday has been widely reported (see here–Atlas Shrugs has photos here). Five innocent people–two parents and three of their children–were savagely stabbed to death in their sleep. On the English section of the website of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, there was only the following short statement, denying any responsibility on the part of Hamas for the attack:

Palestinian National Movement Hamas official Ezzat Al-Rashak said that the movement is not responsible for the murder of the five family members from the Itamar settlement.

Al-Rashak confirmed that harming children is not part of Hamas’ policy, nor is it the policy of the resistance factions.

He also confirmed that the possibility that the incident was carried out by settlers for criminal motives should not be ruled out. [emphasis added]

But on the Arabic section of the website, an article was published praising the attacker as a ‘mujahid’ and deriding the slain Jews as “Zionist usurpers.” What’s worse, at the time I checked there were 34 comments on the article posted by readers, all praising the attack and the attacker (I translated the first 17 or so). Curiously, while the Hamas statement in the English article raised the possibility of the act being carried out by settlers, in the Arabic article there’s no doubt that the attacker was a Palestinian ‘mujahid’.

Keep in mind that this is the same Hamas that CAIR refuses to condemn:

Five Zionists Killed in Stabbing in the Usurper (Settlement) of Itamar

al-Qassam, 12 March 2011

Five Zionist usurpers were killed the morning of Saturday, 12 March 2011, in a knife-stabbing carried out by a Palestinian in the usurper (settlement) of Itamar east of the city of Nablus.

Our correspondent in Nablus reported that a Palestinian mujahid was able to break into the usurper (settlement) of “Itamar” south of Nablus in the occupied (West) Bank, and stabbed five Zionist usurpers.

Zionist media sources said that “A Palestinian broke into the usurper (settlement) between the hours of 9:30 – 11:00 PM, and killed five usurpers from one family while they were sleeping.” They confirmed that the perpetrator of the act was able to escape.

Powerful forces from the Zionist military and police arrived at the location, including the chief of staff of the Army, Benny Gantz, and the head of (Israeli) Central Command, Avi Mizrahi.

The Chairman of the Usurper (Settlement) Council, Danny Dayan, also arrived at the usurper (settlement) of “Itamar,” and said: “This is one of the most serious attacks which has been committed in the last few years.”

The Closure of Nablus and the Imposition of Road-Blocks

Eye-witnesses informed our correspondents that Zionist airplanes, powerful forces from the military and police, and ambulances rushed to the scene and transported the wounded and slain, while occupation forces spread throughout the vicinity of the village of Awarta, and fired dozens of flares.

The witnesses added that powerful occupation forces cordoned off cities and villages, including Nablus, and began to sweep the area, searching for the perpetrators.

It is noteworthy that a similar operation occurred in June of 2002 led to deaths of five usurpers after being shot in the same usurper (settlement) of “Itamar.”

Also, the al-Qassam Brigades were able to execute a series of operations in August of last year, which were named “Stream of Fire,” by which the mujahideen of al-Qassam were able to kill four Zionists. Intelligence officials from both the military and Abbas’s militias in the West Bank were confounded by these operations, and worked with all diligence to try to discover the perpetrators.

Comments:

Abu-al-‘Azz — We praise and thank Allah

All thanks belongs to Allah, for enabling the mujahideen to carry out this operation.

Raydar al-Kurdi — Allah is great, to Allah be the praise

Allah is great, to Allah be the praise. You have done well, o mujahid, o hero. Our hearts and prayers are with you for your victory, from throughout Kurdistan.

Al-Asad al-Qassami — In Saudi Arabia in body, in Gaza in spirit

I ask Allah to place this man’s hand in the Garden. We hope for (more) operations from you, o al-Qassam (Brigades).

Abu-Khalid —

By Allah, we have been in the (West) Bank for a long time, and we have not witnessed anything like what we witnessed today. To Allah be the praise, o Lord…

Ashraf — Morocco

Praise be to Allah for the safety of the heroic mujahideen, in the saying of the Most High: “strive against them with a mighty striving” [Qur’an 25:52]. Congratulations to our righteous heroes.

Muhibb al-Mujahideen — The vast land of Allah

Allah is great, to Allah be the praise. The separate factions of the resistance should change their tactics, and rely more heavily on individual operations, which cannot be detected and thwarted by the lackeys of the authorities, rather than forming cells. They should devise new methods for combat by knife, strangulation, breaking necks, poison, and every method which is not known by your enemy.

Hisam — Algeria

May Allah bless you, o you good ones.

Abu-Mus’ab — Gaza

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who healed our hearts by this blessed operation. May Allah guide the strikes of our brothers the mujahideen in Gaza and the (West) Bank.

Abu-Bakr Nablus — Nablus of the al-Qassam (Brigades)

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The mujahideen have triumphed and humiliated the Jewish authorities. Allah is great, Allah is great. This is the promise of victory, as Nablus has been restored as the capitol of the resistance, the city of the martyrs, and the fortress of the al-Qassam (Brigades). The promise of victory is here, and a challenge to whoever conspires against the resistance and the resistors. More is soon to follow, Allah-willing. Allah is great, to Allah be the praise.

Longing for the Garden — The fleeting world

Allah is great, and to Allah be the praise. May you prosper, o mujahid. May Allah preserve you, and remove the eyes of the Jews and their agents far from you.

Muhammad — Morocco

Praise be to Allah. O Allah, tear apart the Zionist Jews! O Allah, increase and bless their killers! O Allah, protect the Muslims from their evil!

Al-Saqr al-Jarih [The wounded falcon] — Gaza

The Most High said: “Put a barrier between their hands and behind them, and place a covering on them that they may not see.” It was the will of Allah that those mujahideen were able to break through those defenses, come into their home, and slaughter them like lambs, then return safely and victoriously to their people, in the care of the Merciful, who does not sleep. Allah is great. The victory is for Islam and its people. Allah is great, to Allah be the praise.

Ibn-al-Qassam — Gaza

O Allah, grant victory to the mujahideen and those who defend this nation, and reject the humiliation of the Zionists and their agents. Allah is great, to Allah be the praise – Ibn-al-Qassam

Abu-‘Ali — Allah is great, to Allah be the praise

May Allah bless and prosper the hands that pressed the trigger.

Abu-‘Ubayda al-Hut — Gaza

May Allah grant you victory, o Lord, in the (West) Bank.

Abu-al-Qasim al-Muqaddasi — Allah is great, the victory is for Islam and the Muslims

Allah is great, to Allah be the praise. I salute this legendary hero. O Allah, preserve and accompany him. O Allah destroy the children of Zion. We ask Allah for more martyrdom operations and dead Zionists. This is jihad, a jihad of victory and martyrdom.

Abu-Mahmud — Heal the breasts of the believers

O Allah, bless and preserve the perpetrator, o Lord of the worlds. O Allah, amen. This is what we have promised you, o generation of fire, o generation of the al-Qassam (Brigades). The operations are speaking to you–will there be more? Will there be more? Will there be more?

[…]

originally posted on Translating Jihad