Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip have attacked Bahrain and Turkey for condemning Thursday’s terrorist attack in Tel Aviv.
On Friday, Bahrain condemned the attack, describing it as a “terrorist operation.”
“We reiterate the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position that opposed all forms of terrorism and violence no matter the motives and justifications,” Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish Embassy in Israel condemned the terrorist attack and expressed concern over the recent increase in such actions. The embassy offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack, as well as the government and the people of Israel.
The United Arab Emirates Embassy in Israel said in a statement that it “condemns the terrorist attack and expresses its condolences to the families of the victims of this dreadful act.”
On Friday morning, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s office published a statement in which he condemned the killing of Israeli civilians. The statement warned that the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians will further deteriorate the situation.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denounced Bahrain and Turkey, but did not mention the UAE.
“The resistance of our people and holy sites is an act of self-defense,” Qassem said. “This right is guaranteed by all international laws.”
Several Hamas officials and activists are based in Turkey. The criticism of Turkey is seen as another sign of tensions between Hamas and Ankara, especially in the aftermath of the recent rapprochement between the Turkish government and Israel.
A committee representing several Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip also expressed outrage over the condemnations of the Tel Aviv attack.
“We denounce and reject these condemnations that stand with the occupation and its crimes against our defenseless people,” the committee said in a statement. “It would have been more useful for these regimes to be in harmony with the positions of their peoples, who support Palestine and its people and their resistance. We demand that these countries retract the condemnations and apologize to our people.”
The committee added that “resisting occupation is a legitimate right guaranteed by international law, and our people and their heroes will continue to resist the occupation and settlers until they leave our land and our holy sites.”