Hamas condemned far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement to proceed with plans for "imposing Israeli sovereignty" over the West Bank, expanding settlements, and blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In a statement, Hamas described Smotrich's declaration as a "definitive confirmation of the occupation's colonial intentions and its denial of our people's national rights," adding that it "refutes the illusions of those seeking peace and coexistence with this Nazi entity built on terrorism, rights theft, and land seizure."

Hamas reiterated its commitment, along with other Resistance factions, to "confront the occupation's schemes." The statement emphasized that Smotrich's plans "will not alter historical facts: the West Bank is pure Palestinian land, an essential part of our independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital."

The Resistance movement also called on the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the United Nations to "take effective action to restrain this colonial Zionist gang, which persists in challenging international legitimacy," warning that such policies "will only escalate tensions regionally and internationally."

Popular Resistance Committees

The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees responded by stating that Smotrich's announcement "confirms the Zionist entity's continuation of its crimes and ethnic cleansing war to uproot and eradicate our people from their land." They stressed that "the West Bank and al-Quds will remain Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic lands with no place for fascist Zionists."

The committees reaffirmed their commitment to opposing the occupation's plans and extremist leaders, urging "those betting on peace and normalization to abandon their illusions and join the honorable and dignified battle of resistance."

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Fatah al-Intifada

Fatah al-Intifada also criticized Smotrich's statements as a "slap to all those deluded by peace with the Israeli occupation." It noted that Smotrich's remarks, coinciding with the genocide in Gaza, "underscore the interconnectedness of crimes against the Palestinian people and their national rights (…) and openly express the Zionist intent to annex the West Bank, aligning with plans to displace our people there."

Fatah al-Intifada further affirmed that "Smotrich's delusions and his gang will be shattered on the rock of resilience, steadfastness, and defense of the land." The group urged "the Arab and Islamic nations to fulfill their national, religious, and humanitarian responsibilities by supporting our people and resistance in Gaza and the West Bank to thwart the occupation's aims of liquidating the Palestinian cause."

On Monday, Smotrich announced that he had issued orders to prepare for what he described as "imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank," aiming to implement the plan next year. According to Reuters, Smotrich expressed hope that in the "new Trump era" this move would gain support, with the goal of making 2025 "the year of sovereignty over the West Bank."

Not a first

Just in late October, Smotrich said that in the wake of the October 2023 events, the Israeli regime “can and must apply Israeli sovereignty in [the West Bank] and in Gaza."

Speaking at the so-called Middle East Summit, a conference hosted by Israel 365—a media platform targeting American evangelicals—Smotrich, who also leads the Religious Zionism party, argued that "Israel" should abandon “wrong concepts” of a "two-state solution".

He called for an “unequivocal Israeli statement” to the Arab world and beyond, declaring that “a Palestinian state will not be established.”

This stance, Smotrich emphasized, should be underscored by “the establishment of new cities and settlements deep in the [West Bank] and bringing hundreds of thousands of additional settlers to live in them.”

The Israeli Minister further advocated for Israeli control over the Gaza Strip, pointing out that last year's events represented “painful evidence” that prolonged absence of a military presence in the besieged Palestinian territory endangers "Israel" and Israeli settlers, "and we must not allow this.”

“Those who do not want or are unable to put aside their national ambitions will receive assistance from us to emigrate to one of the many Arab countries where the Arabs can realize their national ambitions, or to any other destination in the world,” he said.