Hamas calls for terrorism against Israelis in Judea and Samaria amid Gaza ceasefire deal

A masked Hamas official, identifying himself as Abu Obaida, the elusive spokesperson for the terrorist organization's armed wing, called for a 'West Bank escalation' – a reference to terrorist attacks against Israelis living in Judea and Samaria. The call for renewed terrorism comes as Hamas agreed to a ceasefire agreement with Israel. 

Abu Obaida, one of the few surviving senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, described the Hamas-led war against Israel as 'a historic battle' that 'ignited the spark of Palestinian liberation and demonstrated the capabilities of the rightful owners of the land,' seemingly praising the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which killed over 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children and involved the kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israeli border communities.

The senior Hamas official also praised Hamas’s patron the Iranian ayatollah regime and the other Iranian-backed terrorist militias Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. 

Referring to Quranic verses, Abu Obeida blasted the Israelites (Jews) for their “arrogance” and for being responsible for “corruption in the land” referring to the Land of Israel. He praised Hamas’s military wing Al-Qassam for “defending Jerusalem.” 

Despite the widespread destruction in Gaza and the severe degradation of Hamas’s military capabilities, Hamas propaganda presents the ceasefire agreement as a “victory” as Israel reluctantly agreed to release around 1,900 terrorists from prison in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages over the next six weeks. 

In his speech, Abu Obeida praised the Gazans as "Al-Ta'ifa Al-Mansura" (The Victorious Group) who according to Islamic tradition will bear witness to the “reign of Allah” in the entire world at the end of days. While claiming “victory,” Abu Obeida did admit the “extensive sacrifices” made by Gazans and the thousands of killed Hamas terrorists including top commanders Yehya Sinwar as a “great caravan of martyrs.” 

The Hamas spokesperson praised the legal persecution against Israeli soldiers worldwide and warned Middle Eastern nations against normalizing their relations with the Jewish state.

Abu Obeida concluded by vowing “continued resistance until complete victory and inevitable triumph.” Hamas openly calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of every single Jew in the world.

A senior unnamed Israeli official recently warned that Hamas is trying to carry out terrorist attacks against Jews and Israelis worldwide, especially in Europe. Hamas-affiliated terrorists have already been arrested in several European countries including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Hamas’ ambitions to target Jews outside of Israel are likely linked to the group's severe degradation in Gaza after more than 15 months of war with Israel.

The growing interest in terrorism in Judea and Samaria by Hamas is likely also linked to its limited ability to carry out attacks from Gaza.

Furthermore, the terrorist group's ambition to escalate violence in Judea and Samaria is also designed to undermine its political rival Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah. 

There are growing tensions between the PA and Hamas terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria. 

The PA recently condemned Hamas for using Gazan civilians “as human shields,” confirming Israel’s long-held position that Hamas deliberately embeds itself in civilian areas in violation of international law. 

Fatah and PA officials vowed that they would "not allow Hamas, which has jeopardized the interests and resources of the Palestinian people in favor of Iran and caused the destruction of Gaza, to reproduce its activities in the West Bank."