The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has censured the Israeli regime over attempts to change the geographic and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, saying such bids are doomed to failure.
Hamas made the remarks in a statement on the new railway project that Israel has started to connect its illegal settlements in Jerusalem al-Quds with Tel Aviv and other occupied areas.
In its statement, Hamas has condemned the Jerusalem al-Quds rail project as “a new colonial project that is part of the settler Judaization projects.”
The Jerusalem al-Quds light rail project aims to connect the western sector of the holy city with settlements located on occupied Palestinian territory in the eastern part and to favor their illegal development in violation of international law.
Hamas said the project is indicative of the Tel Aviv regime’s insistence on imposing faits accomplis of all forms on the ground and its determination to go ahead with its Judaization plans.
“It is also aimed at imposing full Israeli sovereignty on occupied al-Quds, separating it from the occupied West Bank, and changing its historic, Arab and Islamic features, as planned in [US President Donald] Trump’s deal of the century,” Hamas stated.
Hamas attributed increasing settlement activities in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds to normalization agreements between some Arab countries and Israel, emphasizing that such accords have emboldened the regime to annex more Palestinian lands.
It called on the Palestinian Authority to shoulder its responsibilities towards al-Quds by supporting local Palestinians against Israeli settlement expansion schemes.
The Palestinian resistance movement also asked Arab and Muslim leaders to take a serious position against Israeli settlement projects in occupied al-Quds, and support the steadfastness of Palestinian residents of the city through all possible means.
“We demand that the international community and the European Union put pressure on the Israeli Occupation to stop its colonial projects in occupied al-Quds that are illegal according to the international law,” Hamas pointed out.
Israel lays claim to the entire Jerusalem al-Quds, but the international community views the city’s eastern sector as occupied territory and Palestinians consider it the capital of their future state.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 478, adopted on August 20, 1980, prohibits countries from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, have condemned the US pro-Israel agenda.