Iraqis storm Saudi media outlet in Baghdad following controversial Hamas report
Yahya Sinwar,the new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, attends the opening of a new mosque in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip on February 24, 2017. (AFP Photo)
In a significant development in Baghdad, a group supporting Shia militia structures stormed the headquarters of Saudi Arabia’s MBC television channel.
The incident occurred after the network labeled Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh as “terrorists” in a recent broadcast, further escalating tensions in the region.
The group, protesting against the broadcast that identified prominent figures such as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas leaders as “terrorists,” forcibly entered the MBC premises. They caused damage to various materials within the building and set fire to the external door.
Mustafa Sened, a lawmaker affiliated with the Shia militia groups, stated that the situation would not end with the storming of the channel’s premises. He emphasized that they would file complaints to revoke the channel’s broadcasting license in Iraq.
Hamas condemns MBC for labeling leaders as terrorists
Hamas issued a strong condemnation against MBC for its characterization of Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, along with other figures, as “terrorists” in relation to their actions against Israel.
In a written statement, Hamas remarked, “The Palestinian people have been subjected to an unprecedented genocidal war and terrorist attacks by the Zionist entity and its army for over a year. In this context, an Arabic-language channel named MBC publishes a dark and inciting report targeting the resistance movement and its leaders, labeling the actions of Palestinian resistance against the occupier as terrorism. This represents a moral collapse that aligns with Zionist propaganda aimed at demonizing the resistance and its symbols.”
This incident underscores the rising tensions among various factions in the region and highlights the complex dynamics surrounding media portrayals of conflict-related figures.
