Hamas: ‘Settlement expansion aims to control West Bank’

Hamas confirmed on Friday that the Israeli Security Council’s decision to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank is a calculated move to consolidate control over the territory.

Hamas criticised Israel’s decision to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the move a: “Declaration by the fascist occupation government of the enforcement of the extremist [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich’s plans to control the West Bank.”

“This requires a unified Palestinian stance to reject and confront these fascist measures; to counter the policies of the extremist Zionist government, escalating their aggression against our Palestinian people through killings, destruction, land confiscation and desecration of holy sites,” added the group.

READ: Palestinian official rejects Israel Minister’s move on West Bank settlements

The group stressed that the United Nations and international community: “Must take practical measures that go beyond condemnation, to work on stopping these measures that are a dangerous attempt to liquidate our people’s cause and violate their right to their land and self-determination.”

“All of the occupation government’s plans to control the West Bank, displace our people and liquidate our case will fail and crash into the boulder of the Palestinian determination and the resistance growing in the West Bank’s cities, villages and camps,” asserted Hamas.

The group called for: “Continuing and escalating clashes with the enemy in order to break its will and remove it from our land and sanctities.”

READ: Israel approves plan to legalise West Bank settlement outposts, sanction Palestinian Authority