The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, sparked controversy by insisting that Hamas is not a terrorist group but rather a “political movement.”
When asked about Israel’s plans to eliminate Hamas, Griffiths stated he has worked with many terrorist and insurgent groups but Hamas is not considered terrorist by the UN.
“In terms of Israel’s plans to eliminate Hamas and have them never be part of any future negotiation when it comes to Gaza, do you think that’s realistic?” Griffiths was asked.
According to @UNReliefChief Hamas is not a terrorist organization.
They are a political organization, who from time to time murders, rapes and kidnaps civilians to let off steam.
What an abomination the @UN has become. pic.twitter.com/E6cEFjgMmd
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) February 15, 2024
“I think it’s very difficult, and as you say, I’ve worked with many, many, many different terrorist and insurgent groups. Hamas is not a terrorist group for us, of course, as you know. It’s a political movement,” Griffiths said, adding, “But, I think it is very, very difficult to dislodge these groups without a negotiated solution; which includes their aspirations. I cannot think of an example offhand of a place where a victory through warfare has succeeded against a well-entrenched group, terrorist or otherwise.”
This led to backlash from Israeli government officials and media who accused Griffiths of being a Hamas apologist and denying their terrorist designation after a deadly attack.
“According to @UNReliefChief Hamas is not a terrorist organization. They are a political organization, who from time to time murders, rapes and kidnaps civilians to let off steam. What an abomination the [UN] has become,” the State of Israel wrote on X.
“Martin Griffiths, @UNReliefChief, denies Hamas is a terrorist organization. No wonder he is abusing his power to save Hamas’ skin after the deadliest terror attack since 9/11 instead of demanding its surrender,” Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy wrote.
Griffiths later tweeted that Hamas’ acts were still horrific but the group is not on the UN Security Council’s terrorist list, failing to explain why he called them a political movement.
“Just to clarify: Hamas is not on the list of groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council. This doesn’t make their acts of terror on 7 October any less horrific and reprehensible, as I’ve been saying all along,” Griffiths wrote.
“Just to clarify: @UNReliefChief you’re a Hamas apologist and your statements are an insult to every single victim of October 7th. Pathetic,” the State of Israel wrote.
Critics noted the EU and others do consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
The comments divided opinions on whether Griffiths downplayed Hamas’ violent activities.
Most Popular:
Cause of Death Released For ‘Rocky’ Movie Star
Supreme Court Audio Suggests Trump Case Is Doomed
