French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti arrives to attend the weekly cabinet meeting in Paris, France, July 4, 2022. (Photo by Reuters)

In the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm launched by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, France’s minister of justice has stated that any form of public support for resistance against the Israeli regime is a criminal offense.

In a circular dated Tuesday, Eric Dupond-Moretti argued that the occurrence of the Hamas operation on October 7 is likely to lead to an increase in anti-Semitic offenses.

He also urged criminal charges against any public expression of messages that may interpret the attacks by Hamas as a legitimate form of resistance against Israel.

Any attacks on the physical integrity of people from the Jewish community, damage to places of worship or even comments likely to qualify as an apology for terrorism or direct provocation to acts of terrorism, should be met with a systematic criminal response, the Justice minister added in his short three-page document.

Waving a Hamas flag during a demonstration may constitute the offense of glorifying terrorism, according to the former criminal lawyer.

Comments praising the attacks, presenting them as legitimate resistance against Israel as well as the public dissemination of messages encouraging people to pass a favorable judgment on Hamas or the Islamic Jihad also include criminal offenses, he asserted.

Meanwhile, the French police banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration that was supposed to be held in Paris on Thursday and a protest in France’s second city of Lyon scheduled for Wednesday evening.

In justifying the move, the police claimed that holding demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people poses a risk to public order.

Earlier on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said anyone in the UK supporting Hamas would be held accountable.

The Western governments, namely the US, Britain, Germany and France, have offered steadfast support to Israel amid the regime’s incessant bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip over the past few days.

Israel launched deadly strikes on the coastal area on Saturday after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement waged a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying regime.

Hamas said that its operation came in response to Israel’s violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East al-Quds and growing settler violence.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the death toll has reached 1,200, including scores of children. The attacks have also left nearly 5,600 injured.

Gaza is under full Israeli siege and now the only power plant there has shut down due to fuel outage. According to health authorities, overwhelmed hospitals without electricity will have to rely on their emergency generators, which will only last two to four days.