Hamas intentionally fueled anti-Jewish protests and violence following a property ownership dispute in Sheikh Jarrah in an attempt to gain political influence and control the global narrative, according to Bassem Eid, a Palestinian human rights activist living in Jerusalem.
“The fanatics who rule over Gaza with an iron fist cannot resist the opportunity to stir up anti-Jewish violence for their own political gain,” wrote Eid, who is often outspoken about the status of Palestinians under Hamas, for The Times of Israel.
“The dispute is not actually about four houses in East Jerusalem. This is about Hamas seeing a chance to seize the narrative and increase its own influence and control over Palestinians in Jerusalem,” Eid continued.
Hamas has made clear that they are not concerned about civilian casualties, whether Palestinian or Israeli.
Some of the rockets intended for Israel are landing short, killing Palestinians including children, according to reports.
Hamas is attempting to garner international sympathy towards the Palestinian cause by inflicting terror on its own people and using them as “human shields,” according to Fellow at Israel’s Kohelet Policy Forum and former Chief of Staff to Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Asher Fredman.
The international community must “[clarify] Hamas’ responsibility for both Israeli and Palestinian casualties,” Fredman told The Foreign Desk.
