EU Parliament member Rima Hassan denied entry to 'Israel'
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Israeli authorities have accused European Parliament member Rima Hassan of leading anti-"Israel" campaigns.
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MEP Rima Hassan gestures at the pro-Palestinian rally outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on November 27, 2024. (AFP)
The Israeli occupation refused European Parliament member Rima Hassan's admission upon her arrival from Brussels on Monday, as directed by Interior Minister Moshe Arbel.
The decision was based on a proposal from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
"The State of Israel is not obligated to allow entry of any official from a foreign country, including members of parliament if they work to boycott and undermine its legitimacy," Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli stated.
Chikli accused Hassan of "leading hostile campaigns against Israel, calls for boycotts and encourages economic sanctions,” vowing that “we will use all the tools at our disposal to prevent the exploitation of our democracy for anti-Israeli purposes.”
Hassan has passionately advocated for boycotts of "Israel" and issued several public remarks denouncing the entity on social media and in media appearances. According to the Interior Ministry, she was scheduled to be returned to Brussels immediately upon arriving.
Hassan, a 32-year-old French attorney and politician of Palestinian ancestry affiliated with the far-left La France Insoumise party, recently blamed "Israel" for the Bibas family's deaths.
On Sunday, she posted on X reminding of the legality of armed resistance against "colonial and foreign domination and control": “Resolution 3070 (XXVIII) of the United Nations General Assembly: Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples to free themselves from colonial and foreign domination and control by all means in their power, including armed struggle.”
🇵🇸 résolution 3070 (XXVIII) de l’assemblée générale des nations unies : réaffirme la légitimité de la lutte des peuples pour se libérer de la domination coloniale et étrangère et de l’emprise étrangère par tous les moyens en leur pouvoir y compris la lutte armée. pic.twitter.com/WkaGYxPsHm
— Rima Hassan (@RimaHas) February 23, 2025
Hamas denies Israeli claims about killing of Bibas children
Hamas on Friday rejected Israeli accusations that the movement was responsible for the deaths of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, two Israeli children who were among the captives held in Gaza. The two were killed inside the blockaded strip, and their bodies were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross under a ceasefire agreement.
The movement dismissed the Israeli claims as "pure lies" and an attempt to "evade responsibility for the army’s role in the family's death."
Israeli occupation forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated on Friday that "Kfir and Ariel were killed in cold blood, not by gunfire but by hand."
In response, Hamas issued a statement rejecting the allegations, calling them "nothing but pure lies that add to a long series of fabrications spread by the Israeli military spokesperson over the past 15 months in the context of the genocide against our Palestinian people."
"This is a desperate attempt to evade responsibility for its criminal army’s role in the family's death, alongside its other crimes against detainees in Gaza," the statement continued.
Hamas accused the Israeli military and its media outlets of trying to "divert global public attention from their brutal crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and massacres committed against unarmed civilians and all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, only for the world to later uncover the falsehood of their narratives and the horror of their crimes against humanity."
Moreover, the al-Qassam Brigades announced on Friday that it had handed over the remains of Israeli captive Shiri Bibas, who died in Gaza, to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
