Sinn Fein leadership must stand up and outrightly condemn the actions of Hamas, says Ian Paisley as Palestine flag is erected on Black mountain

Jim Allister said the attacks were a wake-up call to those who wanted unionists to return to Stormont with Hamas’s “fellow travellers” in Sinn Fein.

​Without warning on Saturday, Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers attacked Israel by air, land and sea. Millions of Israelis in the country’s south awoke to the searing sound of incoming rockets and the thud of impact.

And in an unprecedented escalation, armed Hamas terrorists blew up parts of Israel’s highly fortified separation fence and strode into Israeli communities along the Gaza frontier, slaughtering residents and taking some hostage and trading fire with Israeli soldiers.

There has been no official confirmation of the number of deaths on the Israeli side since the fighting erupted early on Saturday but hundreds of civilians are believed to be dead. Palestinian officials say more than 300 people have been killed in Gaza.

Meanwhile, in northern Israel, an exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group fanned fears that the fighting could expand into a wider regional war.

In a statement, Mr Paisley shared his support for the people of Israel and that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly should lead a campaign to ensure the Muslim Brotherhood is listed as a terrorist organisation. He said: “What we have witnessed in Israel is terrorism plain and simple. Innocent men, women and children have been murdered, injured, and kidnapped by Hamas. We condemn this and stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.

“There has been a long association between Hamas and Sinn Fein. With such international terrorism, the Sinn Fein leadership must stand up and outrightly condemn the actions of Hamas.

“I have written to the Israeli ambassador expressing our support and our foreign secretary in similar terms. The UK has always been a strong supporter of Israel and at this time of trial for the Israeli people we must redouble that support on the international stage.

"I have also urged our foreign secretary to lead a campaign to ensure the Muslim Brotherhood, in which Hamas has roots, is proscribed as a terrorist organisation.

“Finally, if this situation escalates, then the Speaker of the House of Commons should consider the recall of Parliament.”

TUV leader Jim Allister also criticised “prominent” Sinn Fein representatives for “endorsing” Hamas’s actions.

He said in a statement that the “support” for the Hamas attacks in Israel from “their fellow travellers in Sinn Fein should be a wake-up call for all those, including government and even the UUP, falling over themselves to demand a return to Stormont with Sinn Fein at the wheel.

“What we saw in Israel was the most depraved terrorism imaginable, with even women and girls the object for their wicked degradation and cruelty. Yet, the youth wing of Sinn Fein and prominent Sinn Fein personalities are lining up to endorse and exalt in Hamas’ butchery.”

Sinn Fein were asked for comment but failed to specifically respond to our media inquiry.

Meanwhile, Republican activist group ‘Gael Force Art’ erected a Palestinian flag on Black Mountain in Belfast. In a post on the group’s Facebook account yesterday morning they stated that members “stand in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters who will continue to face a murderous bombardment from the Zionist Israel state”.

The group also posted that “Israel maintains a system of settler colonialism, apartheid and occupation over the Palestinian people” and they “call on everyone to fly the Palestinian flag in support of the Palestinian people”.

In addition, members of ‘Newry Rebel Art’ group have relabelled goods in Marks and Spencer with pro-Palestinian stickers. In a statement on their Facebook page yesterday a spokesperson said the store is a “leading distributor” of Israeli goods and “small actions like this will still make people aware of the reality of what is happening in Palestine”.

They added that “the boycotting of Israeli goods sends a very strong economic and political message to Israel – apartheid and genocide are not acceptable in our world”.