Hamas and Malaysia's Anwar condemn Israel's "unilateral" airstrike on Syria

The latest Israeli airstrike on Syria is further proof of the Jewish state's aggression and arrogance in the Middle East and also underscores the United States inability to rein in the Netanyahu administration, Hamas leaders visiting Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur said on Friday.

"We share language, blood and brothers with Syria. We are against any attack from any country against another country," Walid al-Moudi, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau told a joint press conference held at Anwar's PKR party headquarters.

Walid declined to comment further.

Hamas has a complex policy towards the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, with some leaders supportive of him and others against. Nonetheless, in Middle East solidarity, as Walid had said, Hamas opposes any form of Israeli attack being itself a long-standing victim of such aggression.

Earlier this week, Israeli warplanes had struck nearby to the Syrian capital of Damascus, raising a  fresh international furore. Syrian authorities confirmed the attack had hit a scientific research facility that was used to improve the nation's defenses, calling the strike “a flagrant breach of Syrian sovereignty and airspace.”

Israel has vowed military intervention in Syria if Bashar, who is fighting a civil war, loses his grip on Syria's alleged stockpile of chemical weapons. Israel claims it is concerned that the chemical weapons may fall into the hands of Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas or to the rebels now battling with Bashar.

The embattled Bashar is still under tremendous pressure from the uprising that began as a movement for democracy, but which he now claims has been hijacked by Islamic extremists out to topple his government.

Another example of "unilateral" force

Anwar, whose Pakatan Rakyat coalition is expected to sweep to power in Malaysia's coming general election, also condemned the airstrike.

"This is yet another example of Israel's unilateral decision to go on the offensive against another Middle Eastern region. We condemn in the highest terms the Israeli strike on the Syrian people and the dictatorial regime of Bashar Assad. Violence can never be condoned," Anwar said.

The 64-year-old Malaysian leader had earlier vowed to give "total support" to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli incursions on the Gaza strip.

Hamas is the Arabic acronymn for the Islamic Resistance Movement. It is the Sunni Islamic organization that has been governing the Gaza Strip with sharia law since June 2007. It had won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament, defeating the late Yasser Arafat's Fatah political organization amid a series of violent clashes.

Israel, the United States,Canada, the European Union, and Japan classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, while Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Arab nations do not.

Malaysia Chronicle