Deadly attack in Moscow: Nearly 150 killed as Islamic State strikes
6:50 PM EDT, March 23, 2024
On Friday near Moscow, there was a bloody terrorist attack. Nearly 150 people lost their lives to attackers from the Islamic State, and the death toll continues to rise. Condemnations of the attack are pouring into Moscow from around the globe. A notable voice of support for Russia came directly from Palestine, from the Hamas terrorists. This situation is difficult to comprehend.
On Friday evening at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, a concert by the band "Piknik" was set to take place. Around 12 PM Eastern Time, just before the concert was about to begin, a terrorist attack took place.
A group of armed assailants stormed the concert hall and began shooting at attendees. As a result, more than a hundred people were killed, and twice as many injured.
The world is speaking out against the Moscow attack. Upon hearing of the Friday evening incident near Moscow, the White House issued a statement. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski remarked, "Poland, of course, condemns terrorism in any form." On Saturday morning, Hamas also made a statement.
The Nexta agency shared the message on the X platform (formerly Twitter). The post includes a photograph of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shaking hands with Ismail Haniyeh, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and currently one of the leaders of Hamas.
The terrorist movement Hamas condemned the attack on "Crocus" and offered condolences to the Russian people, as reported by Russian media - reads the post by the agency Nexta on the X platform.
Russia maintains diplomatic ties with Hamas's political wing. It does not label them as a terrorist organization. Simultaneously, Russia strives to keep good relations with Israel. The Kremlin navigates the challenging space between these two adversaries but openly supports an organization known for terrorism and has thrived on it for years.
The condolences from Hamas leaders to Russia appear all the more bizarre.
At the end of October, Moscow welcomed a political delegation from Hamas. This occurred after a series of bloody attacks on Israel. The Palestinians saw this as a gesture of support for their cause and were keen to meet with representatives of Vladimir Putin, who had permitted Russians to train terrorists from Palestine even before the attack.
