Hamas, a terrorist group which diverts resources meant to improve life in Gaza to prepare future attacks on Israeli civilians, has endorsed the invasion of northeastern Syria that Turkey calls "Operation Peace Spring."
"The movement understands Turkey's right to protect its borders, defend itself and remove threats to its national security against the futility of the Zionist Mossad in the region, which seeks to undermine Arab and Islamic national security," Hamas said in a statement.
Turkish artillery rained down death on civilians in Qamishli near the Turkish border two weeks ago. Turkish planes and artillery also dropped white phosphorus incendiary munitions near the town of Ras al-Ain. Images showed children who were severely burned in the attacks.
Turkish-backed jihadists participating in Turkey's invasion also looted Kurdish and Syrian homes.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri reaffirmed the terrorist group's support for Turkey's offensive in an interview Monday with Turkey's Anadolu News Agency.
"We support Turkey's right to protect its security and its limitation. Turkey the government, we trust that they respect the brother of Syria's territorial integrity," he said.
But the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) never threatened Turkey. It tried to avoid antagonizing Erdogan, and in August it even pulled its forces away from the Syrian-Turkish border. It launched no rockets or artillery on positions inside Turkey before the unprovoked invasion.
This cautious behavior stands in contrast with Hamas, which fires rockets at civilian communities in southern Israel and invests heavily in building tunnels to use in terrorist attacks.
When Israel defends itself from Hamas attacks the group complains about how Israel kills Palestinian civilians. "Israeli occupation forces wounded 50 Palestinian civilians, including 8 paramedics and a journalist, as they brutally attacked yesterday's #GreatReturnMarch protests east of #Gaza #IsraeliCrimes," Hamas wrote in a June 29 tweet.
The violence was sparked by Hamas-orchestrated riots at the border between Israel and Gaza. Similar confrontations have taken place for more than a year. Hamas officials acknowledge that the vast majority of casualties are not civilians, but Hamas members.U.S. and Israeli authorities say that Turkey provides refuge, along with military and financial assistance to Hamas.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions last month on Hamas leaders and ISIS facilitators living in Turkey, including Zaher Jabarin, who manages tens of millions of dollars in Hamas money while living from Turkey. It also targeted the Turkey-based Redin Exchange as "a key part of the infrastructure used to transfer money" to Hamas. Redin transferred $10 million in March to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing.
Hamas fighters have been equipped and trained by the Turkish private military company SADAT, which also reportedly trained jihadists belonging to the Free Syrian Army who have joined the Turkish invasion and ISIS.
This support for Erdogan's assault on Syrian civilians reveals Hamas' talk about human rights is nothing but a farce.