Hamas on Thursday condemned U.S. legislation that denounces the terrorist group's use of civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields.
The House of Representatives unanimously passed the Hamas Human Shields Prevention Act on Wednesday.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the bill sides with "the Israeli narrative."
The bill steps up U.S. pressure against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and is considered a terrorist organization by Washington and much of the West.
Echoing Israeli complaints, the bill says Hamas routinely instructs Palestinians not to flee from Israeli airstrikes, forcing them to act as "human shields."
"It is U.S. policy to condemn the use of human shields by Hamas as an act of terrorism and a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to act against those engaging in or supporting the use of human shields," the bill says.
It also urges President Donald Trump to direct U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley "to use U.S. influence at the U.N. Security Council to secure support for a resolution imposing multilateral sanctions against Hamas' use of human shields."
The bill says that "the president shall prohibit property transactions and U.S. entry with respect to: (1) each foreign person or entity that is a member of or acting on behalf of Hamas and that is responsible for or complicit in Hamas' use of human shields; and (2) each foreign person or entity and each agency or instrumentality of a foreign state that has significantly facilitated any act with respect to such use of human shields, provided material support to a listed person or entity, or attempted to facilitate or support such acts or persons."
Barhoum issued a statement blaming the move on "Israeli propaganda."
"Hamas rejects in the strongest terms the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that imposes sanctions on the movement under the pretext that it 'uses civilians as human shields.' These accusations are based solely on Israeli propaganda and support the Israeli narrative which will ultimately pave the way for targeting the Palestinian legitimate right of resisting an occupying force as stipulated by the international law," the statement said.
"In the face of this propaganda-fueled bill that acts as a cover-up for future Israeli crimes, Hamas will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and defend them from Israeli aggression that has previously perished thousands of innocent civilians."
