"Death to Israel" song on Hamas TV half-hour before station destroyed

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

About a half hour before Hamas' TV station in the Gaza Strip was bombed by Israel, the station broadcast a music video repeatedly announcing: "Death to Israel." The video shows footage from terror attacks and scenes from funerals and burials of Israeli terror victims. The words "DEATH TO ISRAEL" flash in Hebrew on the screen as the Arabic song focuses on that message:

Embedded in the music video is a clip with Hamas leader Nizar Rayan chanting with the audience: "[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, O Jews. The soldiers of Muhammad have started to return." This slogan is often chanted as a threat to Jews that they should expect to be defeated and murdered again by Muslims, just as Muhammad murdered Jews at the village of Khaibar in the year 628.

That Hamas TV broadcast a song calling for the killing of Israelis/Jews is not surprising. Such music videos are common on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, as Palestinian Media Watch has documented.

In fact, Hamas broadcast a similar song calling for "death to Israel" after the terror organization had agreed to a cease fire with Israel in November 2014. Israel had launched an aerial offensive in the Gaza Strip called Operation Pillar of Defense, with the aim of crippling the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and protecting Israeli civilians from Hamas rocket fire. On Nov. 22, 2014, one day after Hamas and Israel had brokered the ceasefire, Hamas broadcast the following music video with the words:

Despite the new ceasefire, which Hamas and Israel agreed on yesterday, Hamas - an Islamic terror organization that writes in its charter and declares openly that Muslims have a religious obligation to destroy Israel and exterminate Jews - will hardly change its hate messages.

The following are additional examples of Hamas TV music videos and messages encouraging violence and terror against Israel. The dates on the videos below show that Hamas' calls to kill Jews have not changed over the years:

Hamas TV music video (2016): "Strap on an explosive belt... O Martyrdom seeker, respond to Al-Aqsa's call... send them to Hell... Let fire burn them, turn them into body parts, roast them."

Hamas TV music video (2014): "Fire your rockets, make them explode... victory is from Allah... O Martyrdom-seeker, O blaze, hurry, blow up Tel-Aviv."

Hamas TV music video (2012): Killing Jews is worship of Allah, "Repeat in the name of your Jihad: Death to Israel!"

Hamas to Israelis (2012): "We've missed the suicide attacks, expect us soon at bus stations and in cafés."

Hamas TV animation (2016) encourages stabbings, shootings, and ramming attacks, shows daggers, butcher's knives, and guns, honors 3 murderers who killed 6.

Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were murdered in the battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see this event as a precursor to future wars against Jews. At extremist Muslim gatherings and rallies, this slogan is often chanted as a threat to Jews implying that they should expect to be defeated and murdered again by Muslims.