Hamas slams Bahrain, Turkey for condemning Tel Aviv terror attack, claims it was ‘self-defense’

The shooting of unarmed civilians in a bar is an act of resistance and self-defense, says Hamas spokesman.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Gaza-based terror group Hamas blasted Bahrain and Turkey for their statements condemning the Tel Aviv terror attack last Thursday that left three Israelis dead, saying that the shooting spree was an “act of self-defense” for the Palestinian people.

The attack was a deplorable “terrorist operation” and Bahrain sends its condolences to the families of the murdered and wounded, the Gulf kingdom’s Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter.

“We reiterate the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position that opposes all forms of terrorism and violence no matter the motives and the justifications,” the statement concluded.

“We condemn the terrorist attack that took place on the night of 7 April in Tel Aviv,” the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv wrote on its Twitter account. “We are concerned about the recent increase in such attacks.”

“We convey our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the said attack, as well as the Government and the people of Israel. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has a long history of antisemitic and anti-Israel remarks, including that Israelis are bloodthirsty child killers, has recently shown a desire for warmer relations with the Jewish state.

In a statement to Arabic-language media, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem specifically criticized Turkey and Bahrain for their statements against the attack, alleging that the majority of people in those countries support the deadly shootings.

“We condemn the statements of the Turkish Embassy and the Bahraini Foreign Ministry condemning the resistance operation in Tel Aviv,” Qassem said.

“The resistance of the Palestinian people is an act of self-defense and a defense of their sanctities – a right guaranteed by international law.”

He added that “the aggressive policy of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and their sanctities is one of the forms of terrorism and racism in the world.”