GAZA, Palestine, Sept 11 (NNN-WAFA) – The Islamic Hamas movement accused Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of selling “illusion” to Israeli voters by vowing to annex part of the occupied West Bank.
“Netanyahu is searching for the right-wing votes throughout selling his audience the illusion that he would keep the occupation of our land forever,” said Hazem Qassem, the spokesman of Hamas, that has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007.
“The Palestinian people will keep their struggle until kicking the occupation out of their lands and establish their independent state,” Qassem said.
He also underscored the need to forge “a unified Palestinian position, that adopts comprehensive resistance” against the Israeli plan to annex part of the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank.
Hamas’ response came after Netanyahu announced in a news conference earlier that, he would impose Israel’s sovereignty on the Jordan Valley, once he wins the re-election on Sept 17.
Qassem called on the Palestinian Authority “to enhance implementing its decision, not to abide by the signed agreements, stop all types of security coordination (with Israel) and give a free hand for armed resistance.”
“Netanyahu’s remarks unveil the size of the crime that is committed by some Arab states, which normalised ties with the occupation (Israel),” he added.
Before Israel’s Apr election, Netanyahu vowed to annex the West Bank, but did not move to implement it.
Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians wish to establish an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Currently, about 400,000 Jewish settlers live in some heavily guarded communities in the West Bank, among some 2.8 million Palestinians.
