Hamas reacts to Israel plot to annex West Bank
The Hamas resistance group has condemned the Israeli parliament’s (Knesset) initial nod to annex the occupied West Bank, saying the move reflects the ugly face of the Tel Aviv regime’s colonization of Palestinian land.
Hamas issued a statement on Wednesday after the Knesset voted in favor of a bill that would apply the usurping entity’s law to all West Bank settlements, as well as another, more limited bill to annex the Maale Adumim settlement. The bills must still pass three additional votes in the plenum to turn into law.
The resistance group said the move shows that Israel is continuing its efforts to “legalize” settlements and impose its “sovereignty” over the occupied Palestinian territories, in a stark violation of international law and resolutions.
It also held Israel fully responsible for the consequences of the annexation bills, calling on the UN, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to denounce the documents, act to restrain the occupation’s policies, and hold the regime accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people.
“We affirm that the occupation’s frantic attempts to annex the lands of the West Bank are null, void, and illegitimate,” Hamas said. “They will not change the fact that the West Bank is Palestinian land by virtue of history, international law, and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.”
In July 2024, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was “unlawful” and must end as soon as possible.
In another advisory opinion on Wednesday, The Hague-based tribunal said Israel, as an occupying power, is obligated to work with UN agencies to facilitate humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, a rebuke of the regime’s inhumane blockade of the Palestinian territory amid a genocidal war.
The court also said that Israel had failed to substantiate its allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas or other resistance groups.
The opinion was requested by the UN General Assembly in December 2024 after Israel banned UNRWA, significantly curtailing its ability to deliver aid to Gaza.
RHM/
