Qualification of Hamas as a Terrorist Organization by the OAS General Secretariat | Press release – May 17, 2021
Hamas Year of Origin: 1987
“The recent attacks launched by Hamas against the Israeli civilian population undoubtedly constitute attacks of a terrorist nature. Their violence and the objectives they pursue clearly have this characteristic.”
The Hamas terrorist organization, much like most terrorist organizations, has seemingly unlimited aggression toward civilian victims. Their main goal is to escalate conflict dynamics and armed actions, sowing terror among innocent populations, in this case, both Israeli or Palestinian.
In this most recent conflict, the Hamas are immorally using children and women as human shields. The terrorist organization militarizes residential areas, which is an act that deserves the most absolute repudiation and condemnation.
Unfortunately, because of the tactics listed above by Hamas and excessive force used by the Israeli Government, the death toll from the Israeli retaliation is much higher than that instigated by Hamas.
“At least 227 people in Gaza have been killed, including 64 children, and 1,620 have been wounded as of [May 19th, 2021], according to the Gaza health ministry. Israeli airstrikes and shelling have destroyed or damaged homes, roads and medical facilities across the territory.” – NYTimes
This also brings up the question: “With the current disparity in defensive measures (Israel’s Iron Dome), how much moral responsibility should the Israeli government use when planing a retaliation.
Some say that the response against a group with terrorist objectives is legitimate no matter the casualties, because those surrounding themselves with terrorists could be terrorists themselves. The Israeli Government has even stated that all casualties are terrorists casualties, even the 64 children caught in the crossfire.
The Hamas attacks constitute an attack against the peace and security of Israel and the region and make it imperative to categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization. Although the attacks against Hamas by the Israeli Government have been far harsher with higher death tolls of not only Hamas Terrorists, but also Palestinian civilians; Hamas might be a terrorist organization but the Palestinian people are not.