Hamas has strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decision to legalize 19 Settlements in the Occupied West Bank calling the move a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of international law.
In a statement released on Friday, Hamas said the approval reflects the extremist policies of the current Israeli leadership and forms part of a broader plan to annex Palestinian land and reinforce permanent Israeli control. The group said the settlement legalization effort aims to impose new realities on the ground, undermining any possibility of Palestinian sovereignty or future statehood.
Hamas urged the international community, the United Nations and human rights organizations to intervene saying Israel’s continued expansion of settlements represents a flagrant breach of international agreements and UN Security Council resolutions. According to the statement decisions like these fuel instability, provoke further conflict and make peace increasingly unattainable.
The approval was advanced by Israel’s security cabinet under the influence of far right officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who has long pushed for the expansion and recognition of settlement outposts. The plan includes both newly proposed settlement areas and existing outposts that will now receive formal legal status under Israeli law.
Other Palestinian officials echoed Hamas’s condemnation.
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO Executive Committee said all settlements in the occupied territories are illegal and contradict international legitimacy.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency described the move as a dangerous escalation that undermines peace efforts and directly challenges international law.
Palestinian groups and activists have also warned that the decision contributes to what they describe as systematic displacement and land seizure, calling it “Ethnic cleansing by other means.”
The decision comes amid rising tensions and increased settlement activity across the West Bank further straining relations between Israeli authorities, Palestinian factions and the global community.
