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🇮🇱 Israel /Crime & Justice

'Only a smokescreen': Hamas condemns rising settler violence, Ben-Gvir's treatment of prisoners

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

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  • Hamas condemned escalating settler violence in the West Bank and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of enabling attacks while offering only a public smokescreen.
  • The group also criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to Damon Prison and his comments to Palestinian Islamic Jihad prisoners.
  • Hamas linked its statements to clashes in Kusra and the destruction of a monument near Nablus by lawmaker Zvi Sukkot.

Hamas condemned what it described as escalating settler violence in the West Bank, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of allowing attacks to continue while trying to ease international pressure.

In a statement on its English-language Telegram channel, Hamas called Netanyahu’s policy part of a "genocidal war" against Palestinians. It accused the prime minister of giving settlers freedom to carry out organized attacks and said the government’s condemnations were "nothing more than a smokescreen".

genocidal war

— HamasHamas used the phrase to describe Netanyahu’s policy toward Palestinians in its statement on West Bank violence.

Hamas said those condemnations were intended to distance the government from direct responsibility while preserving protection and cover for settlers. The statement followed clashes in the Palestinian village of Kusra and an incident last week in which Religious Zionist Party lawmaker Zvi Sukkot destroyed a monument in Kafr Madama near Nablus.

nothing more than a smokescreen

— HamasThe group characterized Israeli government condemnations of settler attacks as an attempt to reduce international pressure.

In a separate statement, Hamas criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to Damon Prison. Footage released by Ben-Gvir showed him speaking with female prisoners identified by his office as Palestinian Islamic Jihad members and responding to complaints about prison conditions and the removal of benefits.

Ben-Gvir said, "We are not apologizing; anyone who harms Israeli civilians will not receive a kindergarten in prison." Hamas accused him of turning the women’s suffering into a display for cameras.

We are not apologizing; anyone who harms Israeli civilians will not receive a kindergarten in prison.

— Itamar Ben-GvirThe national security minister made the remark while addressing complaints from female prisoners at Damon Prison.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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