The vandalism of posters in Dublin showing some of the people taken hostage by Hamas has been condemned as “perverse and depraved” by the Irish Jewish Council.

The Israeli military estimates Hamas kidnapped 199 people on October 7th - including 16 children and at least 13 people over the age of 60.

Hamas has threatened to kill them if Israel bombs civilians without warning.

Posters of some of the hostages have since been erected around Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock as part of a campaign asking people to share the images to “help bring them home alive”.

Poster of Hamas kidnap victims. 17/10/2023

The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland today said it was disgusted to see that some of them have since been vandalised.

"I cannot begin to think of the mindset of anyone that would deface posters of hostages who are in the most dreadful of situations,” Chair Maurice Cohen said.

“It can only be described as perverse and depraved."

Poster of Hamas hostage in Dublin. 17/10/2023

Posters of hostages in Britain have also been vandalised; the Jewish Chronicle of London published a video that showed two women ripping down posters outside a London tube station.

When challenged, one woman said, “This is for Palestine” and “What about children in Palestine?”

In a separate incident, police in London are investigating claims a man wrote “coloniser” on the poster of a kidnapped hostage.

Death tolls

Yesterday, hundreds of civilians died after a hospital in Gaza was bombed, with both sides blaming each other.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 3,300 have died in Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas.

Israel's death toll stands around 1,400 but could well rise if, as some expect, a ground invasion of Gaza is launched in the coming days.

Main image: Vandalised posters of Hamas hostages in Dublin.