Hamas condemns U.S. listing its top leader among world's terrorists

The Islamic Hamas movement condemned on Friday the decision of the U.S. State Department to list one of its top and prominent leaders in the Gaza Strip, Fathi Hammad, as one of the world terrorists.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement that the American decision "is a crucial and dangerous development that shows the Obama Administration is biased to the Israeli occupation."

"The U.S. State Department decision provides a cover to the endless Israeli crimes against our people," said Abu Zuhri, who called on the U.S. "to regret the decision and stop decisions that are provocative to the emotions of peoples."

Hammad is considered as one of the most prominent leaders of Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, as the movement has been ruling since it had violently seized control of the territory in 2007.

According to media report, the U.S. State Department considered Hammad as one of the top world terrorists, who threaten the security of the American citizens and the national security, economy and foreign affairs of the U.S..

Besides being a top Hamas leader, Hammad is a militant and was the interior minister of Hamas government that ruled the Gaza Strip before the formation of the Palestinian consensus government in June 2014.

Hammad was also the founder of Hamas Satellite Channel called "Al-Aqsa Television". The channel educates and recruits teenagers to become militants and suicide bombers when they grow up, according to media report. Endit