Hamas unveils own version of Israel national anthem

GAZA CITY 

Hamas' military wing released a modified version of the Israeli national anthem on Tuesday – the same day that the self-proclaimed Jewish state marks its 66th "Independence Day," which Palestinians refer to as the "nakba" or "catastrophe."

The Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades released a video clip on Twitter with altered Hebrew-language lyrics to be sung to the tune of Israel's "Hope" national anthem.

The video clip, facetiously entitled "The End of Hope," features various images highlighting Israeli aggression, which, according to the brigades, "confirms the Israeli seizure of Palestinians' rightful land."

"This is our message [to Israel] in Hebrew," the group said via Twitter on Tuesday.

In a play on the original anthem's title, the lyrics speak of how Israeli "hope" has been "ended by Palestinians fighters, just as Israel as an entity will soon be ended."

The video appears as Israelis begin preparations for "Independence Day" celebrations on May 14, the date on which the state of Israel was established in 1948.

Palestinians have long referred to Israel's establishment – which led to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their ancestral homeland – as the "nakba" or "catastrophe."

Over 4.7 million Palestinians, both inside and outside the Palestinian territories, are currently registered as refugees by the U.N.

By Ola Attalah

englishnews@aa.com.tr