Hamas thanks North Korea for lashing out at Israel

A senior Hamas official has thanked North Korea after Pyongyang lashed out at Israel, labelling it a "curse on the Middle East" and an "occupying force".

Sami Abu Zuhri said on Sunday that the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip was grateful for Pyongyang's strong rhetoric directed at Israel.

"Hamas appreciates North Korea statement in which it supported the Palestinian's struggle and rejected the continuation of occupation," Abu Zuhri said on his Twitter account.

"Hamas refuses Israeli abuse of North Korea and confirms that Israel is the leader of evil and terrorism in the world," he added.

A day earlier, a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman had released a statement slamming Israel in retaliation to Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman calling Kim Jong-Un a "madman".

"Israel is the only illegal possessor of nuclear weapons that enjoys the support of the United States, but Israel is attacking North Korea for possessing nuclear weapons," the statement read, adding that this was a move intended to distract from Israeli "occupation" and "crimes against humanity."

He added that Pyongyang fully supports the struggle of Palestinian people to regain occupied territories and establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Lieberman said in an interview in Israeli media last week that Kim Jong-un was a "madman", who was part of an "insane" gang along Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Israeli politicians have condemned Liberman for his statement that has embroiled Israel into the unlikely dispute with North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that North Korea might be preparing a sixth nuclear test – and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

North Korea warned on Monday that it will carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership, in the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters in the region.

Israel is widely believed to have a secret nuclear arsenal although authorities have never confirmed or denied this under a policy of ambiguity.