Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Hamas spokesman Hazim Qasim on Wednesday blasted Defense Minister Naftali Bennett’s decision to seize funds from 32 families of terrorists with Israeli citizenship, Kan News reported.

According to the report, the Hamas spokesman claimed that the move was a "continuation of the Zionist war on the prisoners," called Bennett's move "robbery" and urged the Palestinian Authority not to surrender to this "Zionist step," as he put it.

Bennett signed the orders to seize the funds earlier on Wednesday. The order came into effect immediately.

"These families received money from the Palestinian Authority for years for the terrorist acts committed by the terrorists. The murder of Jews will stop paying off," Bennett stressed.

Last week, Bennett authorized the seizure of hundreds of thousands of shekels’ worth of funds paid to jailed terrorists and their families, in a precedent-setting administrative order.

The move came weeks after Bennett declared he would tighten the use of economic sanctions against terrorists.