The Hamas terror group praised the terrorist responsible for the murder of Ari Fuld on Sunday, ‘welcoming’ the stabbing attack in Gush Etzion.
"We welcome the stabbing attack in Bethlehem, which coincided with the killings of our people during the March of Return," Hamas said in a statement Sunday hours after the attack, referring to the “March of Return” riots on the Gaza-Israel border. Since the end of March, rioters have regularly gathered at the border to attack the Israeli security fence.
"The attack makes it clear that our people wish to continue the Jerusalem intifada. To resist the occupation, by using all means necessary, is our legitimate right.”
On Sunday morning, 17-year-old Khalil Jabarin, a resident of a Palestinian Authority-controlled town near Yatta, south of Hevron, stabbed 45-year-old Ari Fuld in the back near a shopping center in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem.
Fuld, who managed to draw his firearm and shoot Jabarin before collapsing, later succumbed to his injuries.
Born in the US, Fuld immigrated to Israel and settled in the town of Efrat, south of Jerusalem. He was a pro-Israel activist and fundraiser, who also served as a member of Efrat’s rapid response security team.
While the Hamas terror organization openly praised Fuld’s murder, the Palestinian Authority’s WAFA media outlet avoided mention of it, emphasizing that the terrorist had been wounded – playing down the stabbing attack prior to the shooting and describing the terror attack as a mere ‘allegation’.