Hamas hits back at Trump's 'terrorist' epithet

By Gulsen Topcu

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for mentioning the group's name alongside al-Qaeda and Daesh during his speech in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

"Trump's description of Hamas as terrorist means a bias in favor of Israel and having no objection for its crimes against Palestinian people," Hamas' leading member Mushir al-Masri told Anadolu Agency.

Al-Masri said that Trump should stop the policy of double standards on the Palestinian issue and "take sides with the Palestinian victims," adding that the group will continue to resist Israeli occupation.

Speaking at the Arab Islamic American Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Trump said "the fanatical violence" caused worst destruction in the Middle East as stating that "ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others must be counted not only in the number of dead, but in generations of vanished dreams."

"Some estimates hold that more than 95% of the victims of terrorism, are themselves Muslims... It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering can begin to capture its full measure," he added.