BRUSSELS—A senior member of the European Parliament condemned ‘’in the strongest terms’’ the ‘’planned and staged’’ violence on the border between Gaza and Israel and accused Hamas of using the ‘’March of return’’ to carry out terrorist activities against Israel.
Anders Vistisen, a Danish MEP who is first Vice-Chairman of the important European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, declared in a statement published on his Twitter account : ‘’It is well known that Hamas – an EU designated terrorist organisation- has been a central figure in the organisation of the ‘’March of Return’’ in order to carry out terrorist activities along the fenced border in the disguise of ‘riots’, while using civilians as human shields. This is entirely unacceptable.’’
Vistisen, who is a member of the ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists) political group, the third largest in the EU parliament, and the group coordinator in the Special Committee on Terrorism, noted that ‘’Hamas and other extremist groups have claimed half of those killed as their operatives. These so-called protests are not peaceful demonstrations, they are violent acts including attempts of border infiltration. In view of the many security challenges Israel faces, it continues to have te right to defend its territory and borders while using proportional means.’’