News / Palestine

Hamas condemns Israeli confiscation of Palestinian lands as Saudi, UAE rap settlements

Monday, 27 March 2023 6:40 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 27 March 2023 7:00 AM ]

Hundreds of illegal Israeli settlements in Efrat and Beitar Illit in the West Bank are under construction.

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has condemned the Israeli regime’s plans to confiscate more Palestinian-owned lands, amid ongoing Israeli attempts to press ahead with its expansionism and so-called settlement projects.

The movement slammed the Israeli occupation army’s plan to seize vast swathes of Palestinian-owned lands in the villages of Jinsafut, al-Funduq, and Hajjah in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya.

Hamas further called on the Palestinian people to confront the Israeli occupation’s attempts to impose its settlement schemes with all means possible.

Earlier Sunday, the Israeli occupation decided to confiscate hundreds of dunums of Palestinian lands east of the West Bank governorate of Qalqilya.

Amir Daoud, Director General of the Documentation and Publication department in the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission, said that the Israeli occupation forces decided to confiscate 218 dunums of Palestinian lands in Jinsafut, Al-Funduq, and Hajja villages for military purposes.

Meanwhile, the UAE strongly condemned Israel’s decision to steal more Palestinian lands.

In a statement, the Emirati foreign ministry affirmed Abu Dhabi’s rejection of all practices that violate resolutions on international legitimacy and threaten to further exacerbate escalation and instability in the region.

Saudi Arabia also condemned the new Israeli plots to build hundreds of settlement units in the occupied East al-Quds.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the Israeli decision “represents a continuation of the flagrant violations committed by the [Israeli] occupation authorities.”

On Friday, the anti-settlement group Peace Now said in a statement that the so-called Israel Land Authority had issued tenders for the construction of 940 units in the illegal West Bank settlements of Efrat and Betar Illit, as well as a further 89 units in Har Gilo settlement, located five kilometers (3.1 miles) south of al-Quds.

The watchdog added that a total of 747 units are planned to be built in 11 different complexes across Beitar Illit settlement, of which 727 are part of the so-called “Targeted Housing” program.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

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