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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s recent remarks about plans to annex the occupied West Bank have sparked widespread condemnation across the Palestinian territories and the Arab world, with leaders and organizations denouncing his statements as “illusions” that will ultimately fail.
In a speech, Smotrich stated that he had instructed preparations for Zionist sovereignty over the West Bank, with the goal of implementing the annexation in 2025. This declaration was met with fierce opposition from Palestinian factions, including Hamas, which vowed to resist any such attempts to seize Palestinian land.
Hamas movement issued a strong rebuke, emphasizing that the West Bank will remain part of Palestine and reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to resist colonization.
Hamas described Smotrich’s comments as confirmation of Israel’s ongoing colonial intentions and an outright denial of Palestinian rights.
It also called for unified Arab, Islamic, and international action to oppose these plans, warning that they would exacerbate regional tensions.
Hamas added: "These plans will not give them legitimacy on our occupied lands, and will not change the facts of history, that the West Bank is purely Palestinian land, and an integral part of our independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital."
Hamas called for an effective Arab, Islamic and international move to curb this Zionist colonial gang, and stop these policies and plans, which will only increase tension and escalation, on the regional and international levels.
The movement said in a statement thee issuance of these statements at a time when the Arab and Islamic summit is meeting in Riyadh is a slap in the face to all those who have bet on the course of negotiations for decades, and to all normalizers and those who are delusional about the possibility of reaching a settlement with this entity, while it openly declares its mockery of them and their statements that reveal their inability and weakness.
The Palestinian presidency echoed these sentiments, labeling the statements as a clear signal of Israel’s intention to further its occupation and racist expansion.
It stressed that the annexation plan directly defies international law, including United Nations resolutions, and vowed that Smotrich’s vision would not alter the historical and legal status of the West Bank as part of a future Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.
In turn, the Palestinian presidency considered, in a statement, these statements as "a Zionist confirmation to the entire world that the new plan of the Zionist enemy will focus on the West Bank, in order to implement the plan of annexation and racist expansion and to consolidate the occupation."
It said in a statement "Israel" defies the international community and its decisions, foremost of which is the decision of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice, stressing that 2025 will be "the year of the establishment of the state" and that "Israel's" illusions of annexing the West Bank "will fail."
The head of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, also condemned Smotrich's statements, describing them as incitement and terrorism and directly targeting the rights of the Palestinian people.
He stressed that these statements constitute a flagrant violation of all international and UN resolutions, the latest of which is the opinion of the International Court of Justice.
He pointed out that Smotrich's statements express the broad outlines of Netanyahu's colonial government and the continuation of the implementation of ethnic cleansing plans to control the West Bank and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. They also come in the context of the ongoing incitement campaign against the Palestinian people, and aim to consolidate the occupation and legitimize settlement.
Fattouh stressed that these statements require a firm response from the international community. He called on all countries and international organizations to condemn the hostile terrorist statements that constitute a violation of international legitimacy resolutions, and the necessity of taking practical steps by the international community to hold accountable the criminal members of the right-wing government, and to recognize the Palestinian state as a full member of the United Nations.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry considered, in a statement, Smotrich's statements an extension of the war of extermination and displacement, and a blatant challenge to the Arab-Islamic summit.
It stressed that the international failure to implement the United Nations resolutions on the Palestinian issue, and those calling for an end to the war of extermination, encourages the ruling right in "Israel" to persist in its crimes and violations.
In turn, the Fatah movement said in a statement: These statements leave no room for doubt about the enemy's goals in imposing the plans of displacement and annexation, which it seeks to impose through the systematic war of extermination on our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
It stressed that "these statements will not change the historical facts that confirm the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also condemned in the strongest terms the statements of the extremist Smotrich, stressing that "Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory", saying that these statements and illegal Zionist measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and oblige the Zionist entity to stop its aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, provide protection for the Palestinian people, and fulfill their legitimate rights to establish their independent state.
Smotrich said in his statements today, Monday: It is time in the new era of US President Donald Trump to impose Zionist sovereignty over the West Bank, issuing instructions to prepare for the extension of Zionist sovereignty over the West Bank.
He continued by saying that he hopes to implement this plan next year, and that "2025 will be the year of sovereignty over the West Bank The West Bank".
This is not the first time that Smotrich has raised the same issue. Last June, he confirmed the validity of what was published by the American newspaper "The New York Times" about his quest to annex the West Bank to the occupied entity, after his audio recording, obtained by the newspaper, revealed that he had a "secret plan" to strengthen Zionist "control" over the West Bank, and abort any attempt to make it part of the Palestinian state.
The Zionist newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" had previously quoted settlers as saying about Trump's victory: "This is a historical point that may not come back again.. but it is difficult to predict Trump's policy, and he is aware of our needs, but in the end he will be held accountable for his actions.. In any case, he is better than Biden."
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