Russian President Vladimir Putin lights a candle to commemorate the victims of a terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue on a day of national mourning in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday. Photo by Mikhail Metzel/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE
March 24 (UPI) — The Palestinian militia Hamas has condemned the terror attack in Moscow that claimed the lives of at least 133 people after praising Russia for rejecting a U.S.-led vote of the U.N. Security Council for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization itself by several nations including Israel and the United States, said in a statement on Telegram and reviewed by UPI that it condemned the ISIS-K attack, carried out late Friday at a concert hall in suburban Moscow.
“We in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack that targeted civilians in the Russian capital, Moscow, and left dozens dead and wounded,” the Hamas statement reads, as translated from Arabic.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the Russian leadership and people, and to the families of the victims of this criminal attack, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured, and we express our full solidarity with Russia, its people, and the families of the victims in this tragedy.”
In an earlier statement, Hamas had praised Russia — as well as China and Algeria — for rejecting a draft resolution by the United States calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in exchange for hostages in Gaza.
Russia had blasted the language of the resolution as “political,” alleging it left loopholes for Israel to continue its attack. The United States has long been Israel’s closest ally, only recently increasing its criticism of Israel’s violence in Gaza — which is ruled by Hamas.
The United States has claimed that Russia and China, which both have veto power as permanent members of the council, pettily did not want to see a U.S.-brokered resolution succeed.
“The American draft resolution that was rejected during today’s vote in the U.N. Security Council contains misleading wording that is complicit with the goals of the criminal Zionist enemy, enabling it to continue its aggression, and giving it cover and legitimacy for the war of extermination that it is committing against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement on Telegram reviewed by UPI.
Hamas said that the resolution for a cease-fire did not explicitly demand for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
“We express our appreciation for the position of Russia, China and Algeria, who rejected the biased American project of aggression against our people, and stressed the urgent humanitarian demand for an immediate cessation of the Zionist war of annihilation,” Hamas said.
Hamas also blasted President Joe Biden‘s administration for providing Israel “all means and tools of military and political support” leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 32,226 people have been killed and 74,518 have been injured since the war broke out on October 7.
