Hamas slams Israel's plan to expand East al-Quds boundaries
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has denounced Israel’s plan to expand the boundaries of East al-Quds beyond the 1967 borders, known as the "Green Line," warning that it sets a dangerous precedent and signals a de facto annexation of the city.
In a statement on Monday, Hamas described the plan as a “very dangerous” and “an aggressive precedent” designed to impose “full annexation” of al-Quds.
Israeli media reports indicate that the Israeli cabinet is planning to extend construction in the settlement of "Adam" in the central West Bank, effectively annexing more Palestinian land and expanding the area of occupied East al-Quds.
“The real intention is to expand East Jerusalem (al-Quds) beyond the 1967 boundaries, for the first time since the Six-Day War (1967), and this means (imposing) actual sovereignty over the lands and expanding Jerusalem (al-Quds),” Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Noting that the move coincides with demolition notices for 40 homes in the town of Anata in the central West Bank, Hamas said Israel is pursuing a systematic policy to displace Palestinians from al-Quds.
The movement called on the international community to take decisive action against this “escalation” in Israel’s “open war on the Palestinian presence in al-Quds,” warning that silence in the face of these measures only emboldens the Israeli regime to accelerate annexation.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now also condemned the plan, saying “For the first time since 1967, and under the pretext of (building) a new settlement, the government is carrying out annexation here from the back door.”
“The new settlement will effectively be like a ‘neighborhood’ in the city of Jerusalem (al-Quds), and planning it publicly as a settlement (Adam) is an attempt to conceal the step, which means applying Israeli sovereignty (annexation) to lands in the West Bank,” the group added.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.
The international community considers the settlements illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions, as they are built on occupied Palestinian territories.
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Hamas slams Israel's plan to expand East al-Quds boundaries
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