Hamas Calls for 'Resistance' against Israel’s West Bank Annexation Plans

A general view picture shows a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the Israeli-occupied West Bank January 28, 2020. (Reuters)
A general view picture shows a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the Israeli-occupied West Bank January 28, 2020. (Reuters)
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Hamas Calls for 'Resistance' against Israel’s West Bank Annexation Plans

A general view picture shows a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the Israeli-occupied West Bank January 28, 2020. (Reuters)
A general view picture shows a construction site in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the Israeli-occupied West Bank January 28, 2020. (Reuters)

The Hamas movement on Monday called for unity among Palestinians and "resistance" against Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to begin a process of annexing West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley from July 1, as part of a US peace initiative.

"We call for the annexation project to be confronted with resistance in all forms," said senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil.

"We call on our people to transform this hardship into an opportunity to get the Palestinian project back on track," he told a press conference.

Deep divisions remain between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, but Bardawil called for a "union of the political class".

"It is the duty of each free Palestinian citizen to rise up against this flagrant aggression on our land," he said.

Bardawil called for a meeting between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which includes various other Palestinian groups.

Both the PA and Hamas stand opposed to annexation in the West Bank, which forms part of a peace plan unveiled in January by US President Donald Trump.

The initiative paves the way for the eventual creation of Palestinian state, but on reduced territory and without key Palestinian demands such as a capital in east Jerusalem.

Israel's intention to press ahead with annexation has been met with warnings from the United Nations that such a move would likely spark violence.



Türkiye Warns of Plans to Divide Syria into Four Mini-States

Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
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Türkiye Warns of Plans to Divide Syria into Four Mini-States

Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)
Two fighters from Turkish-backed factions in southern Manbij, Syria (AFP)

Concerns are mounting in Türkiye over potential scenarios in Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The warnings come as clashes persist between Turkish-backed factions and the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Aleppo, alongside ongoing Turkish airstrikes targeting SDF positions east of the Euphrates.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the People’s Alliance, has sounded the alarm over plans being drawn up for Syria ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Bahçeli cautioned that developments in Syria could escalate quickly, emphasizing the risks of instability in the region as Türkiye presses its campaign against Kurdish-led forces it considers a threat.
Fatih Erbakan, leader of the New Welfare Party, has voiced concerns over developments in Syria, warning of a potential partition of the war-torn country into four separate states.
Erbakan speculated that plans might be underway to establish an autonomous region along Türkiye’s border for the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the largest components of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Such a move, he cautioned, would pose a significant security challenge for Türkiye, which views the PYD and YPG as extensions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erbakan raised alarms over reports of negotiations to partition Syria into four autonomous regions.
In a televised interview, Erbakan cited reports in US, Israeli, and French media suggesting efforts to divide Syria and establish autonomous zones, including one for Kurdish groups along Türkiye’s border.
Erbakan warned that after the destabilization of Iraq and Syria, Iran and Türkiye could be next, urging Ankara to act decisively to prevent Syria’s division and preserve its territorial integrity.