News - Middle East: The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has condemned Israel’s plans to build more settlements in the occupied Palestinian lands, saying the resistance will counter such plans in order to preserve the Islamic identity of the occupied city of al-Quds.

In a Sunday statement, the movement condemned Israel’s plan to build a new settlement that would separate al-Masara and Bab al-Amud neighborhoods of the occupied East al-Quds, describing it as a step toward the Judaization of the occupied city.

“We stand against [Israel’s] settlement [construction] in order to preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of al-Quds,” the movement said.

It added that the plan is also a clear violation of Islamic and Christian sanctities in the city, and its main goal is to change the historical identity of al-Quds and reduce the presence of Palestinians there.

Hamas further called on the Palestinian people and factions to voice their opposition against the new Israeli Judaization plan and resist it by all possible means.

It made clear that the Tel Aviv regime’s attempt to impose a new status quo in al-Quds will not change the Arab and Islamic identity of the holy city.

The Israeli regime has accelerated the construction of its illegal settlements in occupied al-Quds in recent years.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas have already warned that Israel’s house demolitions and its expansion of illegal settlements in al-Quds will trigger an “explosion” of the situation in the occupied territories.

Human rights activists say Israel’s settlement expansion policies amount to apartheid. However, some Arab countries have remained silent in the face of the inhumane Israeli measures.