Hamas: 'No statute of limitations for Israeli crimes'

Israel’s report on last summer’s offensive on Gaza is a “lie”, Al-Sharq newspaper reported a senior Hamas member as saying yesterday.

Izzat Al-Risheq said that the Israeli report issued yesterday by the Israeli foreign ministry, which accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, is a “lie” and it is a “pre-emptive” measure taken by the occupation to “cover-up its crimes”.

On Twitter, he also said that this report was issued to challenge the international narrative, which “criminalises” Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas leader said that the Israeli crimes were documented by sound and picture and they were broadcast by Arabic and international mass media.

“Those from the army of the occupation who committed crimes will be brought to justice, there is no statute of limitations on their actions,” he said.

Regarding the Israeli claims that Hamas used civilians as human shields, the BBC’s most experienced Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen said: “I saw no evidence of Hamas using Palestinians as human shields.”