Hamas Condemns Israel's Decision to Expand Illegal Settlements in the West Bank

Hamas condemned a new decision approved by the Israeli security cabinet to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and assessed that the move aimed to control all Palestinian land and displace its original residents.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Israeli authorities' decision on the settlement confirms a colonial program aimed at swallowing all Palestinian land and expelling its original inhabitants.

He called the move a real existential threat.

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, February 9, Qassem assessed that the right-wing Israeli government was trying to expand what he described as a war of annihilation and remove the existence of Palestinians in all Palestinian territories.

He added that this development requires real Palestinian unity and a joint national response to face Israel's aggressive policies.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel approved a number of measures that changed the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to strengthen Israeli control.

Israeli media, KAN, reported that the decision includes the repeal of a Jordanian-era law that prohibits the sale of Palestinian land to Jewish citizens, the opening of land ownership records, and the transfer of the authority to issue building permits in a settlement block in Hebron from the Palestinian municipal government to the Israeli civil administration.

The measures also extend Israeli surveillance and law enforcement to areas classified as Area A and Area B, citing alleged violations related to unauthorized construction, water issues, and damage to archaeological and environmental sites.

The expansion allows for the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property, including in areas that are civically and security-wise administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Based on the 1993 Oslo II Agreement, Area A is under full Palestinian civilian and security control, Area B is under Palestinian civilian control with Israeli security control, while Area C remains under full Israeli control and covers about 60 percent of the West Bank.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that part of the cabinet's decision was to transfer planning and development authority at the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings, as well as other religious sites, from the Hebron municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration.

The move is contrary to the arrangements in the 1997 Hebron Protocol between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Israeli authorities continue to demolish Palestinian homes and buildings throughout the West Bank on the grounds of not having permits, amid policies that Palestinians consider very restrictive and difficult to obtain building permits.

According to the Commission for the Resistance to Colonization and the Wall, a Palestinian government agency, Israel carried out 538 demolitions throughout 2025, affecting around 1,400 houses and buildings.

The figure is an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.

The United Nations (UN) has stated that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and undermine the viability of the two-state solution.

The United Nations has for decades called for a halt to all settlement activity.