Fox News host slammed for ‘shameful’ claim there’s no difference between Hamas and Palestinians

Fox News host Jesse Watters has been slammed after saying there is no difference between Hamas and Palestinians and “they all love killing Jews.”

During Monday’s The Five, Watters discussed the recent Hamas terror attack on Israel, in which more than 1,400 people were killed, while many more were injured and dozens were taken back to Gaza as captives.

“I don’t like how people try to differentiate between the Palestinians and Hamas,” he said.

The Fox News host went on: “To me, I see people with guns. That’s Hamas. The people without the guns are the Palestinians. They believe the same thing. The Palestinians hire Hamas to run their government. You poll them; they all love killing Jews. It’s in their charter. They say they believe in suicide bombings.”

He followed up his sweeping claim by adding: “Every time a Palestinian refugee goes to another country, it doesn’t work out so well for the country and for those Palestinians.”

Watters then discussed how bordering countries like Egypt have declined to take in refugees from Gaza. “I think we all know why they don’t want the Palestinians,” he said.

The host made similar comments on Fox News just a week ago after a Republican lawmaker proposed banning Rep Rashida Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, from displaying the flag of Palestine outside her office.

He slammed Ms Tlaib before saying: “Palestinians and Hamas are in bed together. They live together.”

He added: “Palestinians let Hamas conduct terror campaigns from their territory. Hamas is a big faction of the Palestinian government.”

While Hamas controls Gaza, it does not control the West Bank – another part of Palestine.

The group last held elections in 2006, when they first came to power. Nearly half the population of Gaza consists of children, who could not have voted in that contest.

The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment.

His most recent comments attracted backlash on social media, with MSNBC Mehdi Hasan host describing his remarks as “sickening” and “shameful”.

“A reminder that Jesse Watters went on this racist, anti-Palestinian rant today, the same day a Palestinian family near Chicago buried their 6-year-old son Wadea, after his landlord allegedly stabbed him & said: ‘You Palestinians don’t deserve to live,’” he said.

“Beyond sickening/shameful.”

Joseph Czuba, 71, was arrested on Saturday morning after allegedly stabbing six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume 26 times and the little boy’s 32-year-old mother Hanaan Shahin more than 12 times, in an attack that police say was sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.

Wadea died at the hospital, while his mother remains in a serious condition but is expected to survive.

Prosecutors say that the suspect allegedly knocked on his tenants’ door before shouting “You Muslims must die” and stabbing the child and his mother.

Police said that the boy and his mother were “targeted” due to their Muslim faith and the “on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis”.

At his court appearance, prosecutors said that Mr Czuba had been listening to right-wing talk radio coverage of the Israel-Hamas war before the attack, causing him to become increasingly concerned for his safety, reported The Chicago Sun-Times.

Mr Czuba was charged with a hate crime, as well as first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery.

More than 1,400 Israelis and 2,800 Palestinians have been killed since fighting broke out on 7 October when Hamas terrorists stormed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing hundreds of people and taking dozens captive.

At least 30 American citizens are among the dead, the White House confirmed.