Hamas Urges Sanctions Over Israeli West Bank Moves

[Abdulwahid]

Hamas on Tuesday called for international sanctions against Israel, welcoming a joint condemnation issued by nearly 20 countries over new Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank. The group described the diplomatic response as an important development in addressing what it called escalating expansionist policies.

The Israeli government recently approved a series of initiatives backed by far-right ministers. These measures include launching a process to register land in the West Bank as "state property" and permitting Israelis to purchase land there directly, a move critics argue could further entrench settlement activity.

On Monday, 18 countries — including regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, alongside European nations like France and Spain — strongly criticized Israel's recent actions. They warned that the steps risk altering the situation on the ground in ways that undermine prospects for peace.

In their joint statement, the countries said the measures appear to advance what they described as an unacceptable "de facto annexation." They stressed that such policies threaten the viability of a future Palestinian state and weaken the long-standing framework of the two-state solution.

Hamas praised the condemnation, calling it "a step in the right direction" toward confronting what it views as occupation policies that violate international law and United Nations resolutions. The group urged participating nations to move beyond statements and adopt concrete punitive measures.

Specifically, Hamas called for deterrent sanctions and increased diplomatic pressure on Israel's government. It accused Israeli authorities of pursuing policies designed to entrench annexation, expand settlements, and force displacement of Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza.

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 and is widely regarded internationally as central to the creation of a future Palestinian state. Today, alongside roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in settlements considered illegal under international law, while Israel's current government continues to accelerate settlement approvals.

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