Israel’s Knesset passes bill to criminalize watching pro-Hamas content

By Abdel Rauf Arnaut

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s parliament late Wednesday passed an amendment to criminalize the consumption of pro-Hamas materials.

Lawmakers voted to amend the country’s counterterrorism law to make it a criminal offense to “consume terrorist materials.”

The bill bans individuals from the “systematic and continuous consumption of publications of a terrorist organization under circumstances that indicate identification with the terrorist organization.”

The amendment identifies the Palestinian movement Hamas and the Daesh/ISIS group as the “terrorist” organizations to which the offense applies.

The criminal offense carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.

The law was passed as a two-year temporary measure, but can be extended by the Knesset at the end of that period.

The amendment came as the Israeli army continued relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 10,569 Palestinians, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, have been killed since then. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.

Besides the large number of casualties and massive displacements, basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege.

Food is running out and bakeries are inoperable in Gaza, according to the World Food Program.