Some people were recently disconcerted to hear B’Tselem refer to Hamas as an “armed Palestinian group”, not a “terrorist organization”. Why does B’Tselem not say that Hamas is a terrorist organization? Does B’Tselem not reject the mode of action adopted by Hamas, of deliberately targeting civilians?
First and foremost, let us reiterate B’Tselem’s position on this point: Any action by Hamas that deliberately targets civilians is unquestionably unlawful and morally unacceptable. B’Tselem unequivocally rejects such actions. We have made this clear on many occasions, including condemning the firing of rockets at Israel and attacks on Israeli civilians. This has been our principled position in the past, and we will of course continue to voice it in the future as well. Deliberate targeting of civilians is completely and utterly unjustifiable.
In order to avoid lengthy discussions of the loaded and controversial term “terrorism”, B’Tselem strives to employ objective wording. Any interpretation of such neutral language as a reflection of a neutral position with regard to harming civilians could not be further from the truth. Rather than entering into a dispute over how to define various entities, we focus on expressing strong, clear-cut condemnation of actions that harm civilians, be they carried out by a state, army, armed group or an individual. This moral and legal position enables the factual examination of actions by various bodies as well as the clear and decisive criticism of said actions.