OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Hamas Movement condemned the Israeli government’s approval of plans to convert the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Occupied Jerusalem into military facilities, including an army museum and a military recruitment office.
In a statement issued Sunday, Hamas described the decision as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international law,” saying it reflects contempt for the United Nations and the immunity granted to its institutions. The Movement added that the move is part of a broader plan aimed at Judaizing Palestinian land and deepening Israeli colonial expansion.
Hamas stressed that the measure is “null and illegitimate” and constitutes a challenge to the will of the international community, calling for a firm international response to condemn and reverse the decision, as well as sanctions to deter the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Movement also said that targeting UNRWA is part of a “systematic campaign” aimed at erasing the agency’s role as an international witness to the Palestinian refugees’ right of return to their occupied homeland.
