Hamas Calls for Attacks on Israeli Jews, ‘Traitor’ Palestinians

In the wake of a tragic terrorist attack that resulted in the death of an Arab infant in the West Bank, the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group has called for suicide attacks against IDF soldiers, Israeli Jewish citizens, and Palestinian “traitors and collaborators.”

Israeli officials are suspicious that religiously motivated Jewish extremists may have been responsible for the casualties, given that Hebrew graffiti was found at the site of the attack, but a suspect has not been charged in relation to the incident. The terror attack was unanimously condemned by the entirety of Israel’s leadership and Parliament, drawing a sharp distinction from Palestinian leadership, which, following jihadi attacks, sometimes glorifies Arab terrorists as martyrs.

A senior Hamas official has even called on Palestinians to attack security forces employed by the Palestinian Authority–which governs the Palestinian areas of the West Bank–if they feel that the police officers are “traitors and collaborators,” Israel National News reported. Tensions continue to rise between the Gaza-ruling Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. On Friday, a Hamas leader’s car was firebombed in a Palestinian Authority-governed area of the West Bank.

Hamas leader Hamad al-Rakav, in calling for suicide attacks against Israelis and Palestinians, said, “The Zionists’ burning of the helpless infant that didn’t commit any crime is proof that they are thirsty to spill our blood and to commit crimes against our people.”

In a meeting with his security cabinet Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the contrast between Israeli and Palestinian officials’ responses to terrorism.

“We deplore and condemn these murders. We will pursue them to the end. They [Palestinian government] name public squares after the murderers of children. This distinction cannot be blurred or covered up,” Netanyahu said.

“It is important to say this even as we utter our condemnations and unite against the criminals among our people,” the Israeli Prime Minister added.