Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Hamas backtracks on missile apology | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Hamas government in Gaza has distanced itself from an earlier statement in which it expressed regret for harming Israeli civilians in rocket attacks.

The apology was part of the government’s response to a U.N. report that alleged both Hamas and Israel committed war crimes during Israel’s Gaza offensive last winter. The U.N. report accused Hamas of firing rockets indiscriminately at Israeli civilians.

The Hamas government wrote to the U.N. that “we apologize for any harm that might have come to Israeli civilians.” However, the government also said it has the right to resist Israeli occupation.

On Saturday, the Gaza government reaffirmed that right but said “the report it submitted does not include any apologies in this regard.”

It offered no explanation for the contradiction.