From Gaza to Ramallah: Palestinian Authority TV Erases Hamas Terror and Blames Israel

No matter which terror organization accepts responsibility for carrying out a terror attack in recent times — be it the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (Fatah’s terror branch), Islamic Jihad, or Hamas — the Palestinian Authority (PA) consistently lies, denies there ever was an attack, and repackages the killing of the terrorist as the murder of an innocent man.

In the latest example, Hamas was proud to take credit for a terror attack that wounded two people.

Hamas published a celebratory poster on its official Telegram channel, praising 18-year-old terrorist Muhammad Raslan Mahmoud Asmar who carried out a “heroic stabbing operation” near Ateret. Hamas framed the attack as “Jihad — victory or Martyrdom” and painted Asmar’s death as his “wedding” to virgins in Paradise.

Text on poster: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration’ [Quran 33:23, Sahih International translation]:

The Islamic Resistance Movement ‘Hamas’ leads to the wedding
Jihad fighter Martyr Muhammad Raslan Asmar
Who ascended to Heaven on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, after carrying out a heroic stabbing operation
Near the settlement Ateret that sits on the lands of the northern Ramallah [district’s] villages
Which led to the wounding of 2 occupation [i.e., Israeli] soldiers.
This is Jihad – victory or Martyrdom” [emphasis added]

[“Hamas Movement – West Bank (reserve channel),” Telegram channel, Dec. 2, 2025]

The PA, however, at multiple times throughout the day, declared Asmar to have died in a policy of “summary executions” that Israel carries out “due to baseless excuses and pretexts:”

18:00

Text on screen: “Death as a Martyr of young [Muhammad Asmar] shot by the occupation northwest of Ramallah”

Official PA TV reporter: “In Beit Rima, from the early morning hours the Israeli occupation forces have imposed a strict siege on the village. They raided the village and began conducting a search operation … in the Martyr’s house… as part of a systematic policy they always employ against the families of the Martyrs …

At the same time, they are still holding the body of Martyr Muhammad Asmar, 18… under the pretext that he carried out a stabbing operation … as part of the systematic policy [Israel] employs to punish the families of the Martyrs. Furthermore, [Israel] prevents them … from conducting funeral ceremonies for them, as they deserve for their sacrifice and their deaths as Martyrs.” [emphasis added]

[Official PA TV, Dec. 2, 2025]

18:00

Official PA TV host: “Young Muhammad Raslan Mahmoud Asmar, 18, from the town of Beit Rima, was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr northwest of Ramallah.” …

Official PA TV reporter: “A new Martyr has been added to the list of blood in Ramallah, while the criminals remain unpunished. Young Muhammad Raslan Asmar, 18, from Beit Rima was shot and died as a Martyr near the settlement of Ateret, before the occupation forces seized his body, as part of the ongoing policy of summary executions of residents.” [emphasis added]

[Official PA TV, Dec. 2, 2025]

20:00

Official PA TV newsreader: “Muhammad Raslan Asmar, 18, from Beit Rima was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr.” …

Official PA TV reporter: “The Israeli escalation today, [Dec. 2, 2025,] comes due to baseless excuses and pretexts, in which it claimed that the young Martyr attempted to carry out a stabbing attack on the road leading to the main bypass road near the village of Umm Safa northwest of Ramallah, where young Muhammad Asmar, 18, was shot by the occupation and ascended to Heaven.”

[Official PA TV News, Dec. 2, 2025]

To PA TV, Asmar was not a terrorist, not an attacker, and not responsible for violence of any kind. Instead, viewers were told repeatedly that he was merely “shot by the occupation,” “executed,” and added to the “list of blood in Ramallah.”

This systematic cover-up of terrorism by the Palestinian Authority is not surprising.

The PA has never condemned the Hamas-led atrocities of Oct. 7, and when it addresses them at all, it limits itself to lamenting the consequences for Gaza — not the massacre itself. Against that backdrop, there was never any chance that the PA would acknowledge or condemn a Hamas attack near Ramallah. Just as it excuses, rationalizes, and erases Hamas’ responsibility for Oct. 7, the PA once again stripped a terrorist of all accountability, recast him as an innocent “Martyr,” and shifted every ounce of blame onto Israel — a deception in the service of terror.

Ephraim D. Tepler is a researcher at Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), where a version of this article first appeared.