The United Kingdom’s Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) has ordered the removal of a video game from the UK which allows players to simulate Hamas-style terrorist attacks on Israelis.

The game, titled Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, was made unavailable to UK users of the digital distribution platform Steam following CTIRU’s intervention, according to a report by TheGamer. Valve Corporation, the parent company of Steam, complied with the request but has yet to remove the game globally, leaving it accessible in countries such as the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Jewish advocacy groups have strongly condemned the game, describing its content as glorifying terrorism and inciting violence. The Canada-based Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies has called for its worldwide removal. In a letter to Valve Corporation President Gabe Newell, the group’s senior director of policy and advocacy, Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, wrote, “This game glorifies horrific acts of terrorism and is rife with violent and antisemitic content, including the explicit recreation of the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel by Hamas.”

The game, initially released before the October 7 attack, has reportedly been updated by its developer, Nidal Nijm, to include content referencing the massacres, referred to by some as “the Al-Aqsa Flood.” Players can assume the role of a Hamas terrorist, performing violent acts such as suicide bombings, throat-slitting, and decapitations—tactics used during the October 7 assault on Israeli civilians and military personnel.

Valve has not responded to requests for comment on the growing backlash, nor has it addressed calls to ban the game internationally. Meanwhile, criticism mounts that allowing the game to remain accessible promotes violent extremism and provides a platform for hate-driven propaganda.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)