Jordan’s Queen Rania says “anti-Semitism has been used as a weapon to suppress criticism of Israel” and says: “Being pro-Palestine does not mean being pro-Hamas.”

Queen Rania of Jordan has again criticized the IDF’s incessant bombing of the Gaza Strip, saying Israel’s supporters are trying to undermine criticism of Tel Aviv’s actions by accusing critics of being anti-Semitic.

“What we’ve seen in recent years is the accusation that anti-Semitism is being used as a weapon to silence any criticism of Israel,” Jordan’s queen consort, whose parents were born in Palestine, told CNN .

“Supporters of Israel who cannot defend Israel’s actions or behavior return to shut down the conversation by equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.

“Let me be clear: being pro-Palestinian does not mean being anti-Semitic. Being pro-Palestinian does not mean being pro-Hamas or pro-terrorism.

“I think Israel deserves more than just unequivocal support from its allies. I think it deserves some uncomfortable truths because if you’re a true friend, you support your friend when he’s right, but you also tell him when he’s wrong.” over the line. she concluded.

Rania’s comments come as the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claimed that more than 10,000 Palestinians have now been killed by Israeli airstrikes – an average of nearly 350 people a day since October 7.

More than 4,000 of the 10,022 registered victims were under 18, the ministry said, adding that more than 200 people were killed overnight in brutal bombings by IDF fighter jets as ground forces encircled Gaza City before an attack threatened.

Queen Rania’s latest statement follows previous comments in which she said there is a “flanking double standard” around the world when it comes to compassion for victims of war.

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, railed against Israel’s “apartheid regime” last month in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour (pictured).

Queen Rania’s latest statement follows previous comments in which she said there is a “flanking double standard” around the world when it comes to compassion for victims of war.

She briefly admitted that she “of course” condemned Hamas’ killing of Israeli civilians, but spoke mainly of the need for greater support for Palestinians and a stop to Israeli ground attacks.

Hamas claims 10,000 people have now been killed in Israeli airstrikes, while the IDF bombs 450 targets and “splits Gaza in two” after destroying the surrounding city

“Are we being told that it’s wrong to kill a family, an entire family, with a gun, but it’s okay to shoot them? I mean, there’s a clear double standard here,” she said.

Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in the West Bank, railed against the “apartheid regime” of Israel in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last month.

“These are the rules of war and they should apply to everyone. Yes, there was the shock and there was the condemnation [towards Hamas]. But why is what is happening now not equally condemned?

“Even if Israel defeats every last Hamas member, then what? Did they not leave behind a trail of terrible memories that will unleash a new generation of resistance, even more intense and violent?’

Amanpour asked the 53-year-old queen how she felt “as an Arab, as a Palestinian, as a mother, as a human being” since the October 7 Hamas attack.

Rania replied: “I cannot describe the depth of sadness, pain and shock we feel here in Jordan.

She said her country, home to the world’s largest Palestinian population, was “united in grief, regardless of our origins.”

“I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children as much as any other mother in the world,” she added in the interview that aired on October 25.

“Six thousand civilians have died so far, 2,400 children – what about self-defense? We are witnessing large-scale massacres with precision weapons.

“I just want to emphasize that this conflict did not start on October 7, even if it is portrayed that way,” Rania continued.

“You know, most channels broadcast the story under the title Israel at War. But for many Palestinians on the other side of the barrier and on the other side of the barbed wire, the war is never over.”

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan arrive at the South Portico of the White House on June 25, 2018 in Washington, DC

A Palestinian reacts as others check the rubble of a building in Khan Yunis on November 6

This striking photo released by the Israeli military on November 5, 2023 shows Israeli tanks and soldiers stationed at a location in the northern Gaza Strip as fighting continues between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

Images show what the IDF sees as entrances to Hamas tunnels under a hospital

“This is a 75-year-old story – a story of overwhelming death and displacement for the Palestinian people.

“It is a story about an occupation under an apartheid regime that occupies land, destroys houses, confiscates land, carries out military raids and night raids.”

“You know, the context of a nuclear-armed regional superpower occupying, oppressing and committing documented crimes against Palestinians on a daily basis is missing from the story,” she concluded.

Critics say Israel’s attacks on Gaza are often disproportionate given the large number of civilians killed – but IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus strongly justified the brutal attack on Gaza today.

“We will take the fight to Hamas, wherever it is: underground, above ground. “We will be able to dismantle Hamas, fortress by fortress, battalion by battalion, until we reach the ultimate goal, which is the liberation of the Gaza Strip – the entire Gaza Strip – from Hamas,” he said.

According to the Israeli press, troops will now enter Gaza City within 48 hours – an operation that will be a new chapter in the conflict that began almost a month ago when Hamas gunmen stormed Israel and killed 1,400 people.

Israel has also accused Hamas of war crimes and presented new evidence showing the terror group is using hospitals in the Gaza Strip as military bases while preventing civilians from escaping.

At Sheikh Hamad Hospital, known as “Katari” Hospital, Admiral Hagari said he showed photographic evidence of tunnel entrances next to the building discovered by Israeli forces.

Hagari said Hamas was operating from the hospital because it knew the IDF could not launch an airstrike against it without causing additional damage.

“Without human shields, Hamas is weak,” he said.