Hamas spokesman Hussam Badran welcomed the recent attacks against Israelis, saying they should be continued until the defeat of the ‘occupation.’ PHOTO: Twitter.

A Hamas spokesman issued a statement on Tuesday welcoming recent terror attacks against Israelis, and calling on Palestinians to continue targeting the Jewish state until the “defeat of the occupation,” Israel’s NRG reported.

“The recent actions in the [West] Bank, the shootings against an IDF soldier and settlers, and the stabbing operations that have been carried out by lone men and women represent an important development,” said Hussam Badran. Hamas, he said, “welcomes these actions and stands by the perpetrators. We consider the resumption of operations an important and positive step towards returning to the natural state in which we must fight the occupation directly until it is defeated.”

Badran included a specific message for the Palestinian residents of the West Bank, saying, “every time we hear of an additional operation coming out of the armed uprising in the [West] Bank, we congratulate our people and welcome their need to be part of the uprising, to defend themselves and their rights.”

Angling for support in the territories ruled by the rival Fatah party of Mahmoud Abbas, Badran praised the residents of the West Bank as, “an integral part of the uprising against the occupation,” exhorting them to “keep it up.”

Badran also directly addressed Israel and vowed a return to the days of the Second Intifada. “The criminal occupation which is harming our people in the [West] Bank must be aware that it will not be long before the [West] Bank returns to the days of the Aqsa Intifada.”

The recent spate of terror attacks began ten days ago with the onset of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when an 18-year old Palestinian from the West Bank stabbed an Israeli Border Police officer in the neck with a commando knife, near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Though he was critically wounded, the officer was able to quickly respond to the attacker, shooting him before he collapsed.

His fellow officer administered first aid on the spot, until emergency crews were able to evacuate the officer to a nearby hospital where he was rushed into surgery.