Fury as 'Hamas-style' headbands and 'From the River to the sea' T-shirts on sale on Etsy and Amazon

Green headbands resembling those worn by Hamas terrorists which were being sold on Etsy have been removed, MailOnline can reveal.

The distinctive accessory, featuring Arabic writing on a green cloth, caused outrage among Jewish groups and protestors over it's uncanny likeness to the terrorist groups' uniform.

Though the writing on the cloth translated to a segment from the Quran, unrelated to Hamas, the headband bore a striking resemblance to that worn by militants who stormed into Israel and committed barbaric atrocities on October 7.  

The item was previously being sold on the online marketplace for £12 and was tagged as a 'bestseller', indicating a high volume of sales over the past six months.

It also garnered 211 five-star reviews, with customers hailing it an 'excellent product' and 'so beautiful'. 

The product was being sourced from US-based vendor Haydar Maula, a business created in order to 'promote the message of Muhammad', the Islamic prophet.

But the shopping giant came under fire for allowing its sale, with Jewish groups and protestors on social media labelling it 'outrageous'.

Taking to X, one user wrote: 'Etsy why are you selling [these] headbands on your website? Anything less than a ban is an indication of support'. 

Another jibed sarcastically: 'Great secret santa gifts - now on Etsy! A Hamas-style headband. Hard not to love. Shame. Won't be buying anymore gifts here.' 

It comes after two individuals were seen in London wearing similar headbands during a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day in the wake of the October 7 terror attacks. 

The Metropolitan Police said they were seeking 'two people in relation to a hate crime'.

Expressing support for Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, is a criminal offence in the UK. 

In a letter to Colin Stretch, chief legal officer of Etsy, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) previously asked him to confirm these items will be 'withdrawn' from sale. 

Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, said: 'At a time of rising antisemitism, it is extremely distressing to see these Hamas-style terrorist headbands openly being sold on Etsy.

'Selling the Hamas-style headband on Etsy promotes the illegal activity of wearing Hamas military paraphernalia. 

'There is no reason why these items should remain on sale on Etsy's website given that they are in breach of [Etsy's] own policy guidelines and that selling such items and wearing the items in public can be a criminal offence.'

Etsy's 'prohibited items policy' states that the platform has a 'zero tolerance policy for prohibited items, particularly those that promote, support or glorify hatred, those that promote, support or glorify violence, or are unlawful'.

Sellers who violate these rules can see their Etsy accounts immediately suspended or terminated. 

Etsy have been contacted for comment.

It comes after online giants Amazon and Etsy were criticised for selling Israel 'hate' merchandise prior to the Armistice Day protests.

The retail sites were selling products which 'glorify hatred against Israel and the Jew,' critics warned.

T-shirts, baseball caps, jumpers and badges bearing the slogan 'Make Israel Palestine Again' are still being sold on Etsy - an e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies.

Meanwhile, T-shirts and jumpers with the slogan 'From The River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free' are still being touted on Amazon.

In letters to the retailers, UKFLI told Amazon the 'From The River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free' chant is a 'well-known call for the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel and has been adopted by those who support the aims of Hamas, to obliterate Israel.' 

And in a separate letter to Etsy, UKLFI said that the slogan 'Make Israel Palestine Again' implies that 'there should no longer be a State of Israel, which as you are no doubt aware, is the aim of the terrorist group Hamas'. 

Amazon's policy states that products 'that promote hate, incite violence or intolerance or advocate or discriminate against a protected group', including 'national origin', are prohibited. 

A spokesperson for antisemitism charity CST said: 'Phrases like "From the River to the Sea" and "Make Israel Palestine Again" are used by those who call for the elimination of the world's only Jewish state, and we saw in the October 7 massacre exactly what that would look like.

'For now, such phrases are not a criminal offence and this kind of merchandise, which is deeply offensive and distressing for the Jewish community, is symptomatic of that.

'We do generally have a good relationship with Amazon in the UK and they often remove, for example, anti semitic books, at our request.

'We have raised this clothing issue with them, strongly, and encourage other marketplaces - such as Etsy - to do the same.'

Amazon declined to comment. Etsy did not respond to a request to comment.