Hamas condemned Tuesday the election of Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon to chair the organization’s legal committee.

In a press release, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the appointment rewards Israel for its terrorism and encourages the occupation to commit more crimes against the Palestinian people.

The Israeli nomination came through the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) in the UN whose turn it was to name the next chairman of the committee.

The United Nations General Assembly has six committees that report to it. The Legal Committee oversees issues related to international law and is the primary forum for the consideration of legal matters in the General Assembly.

Chairing the committee grants the Israeli occupation a higher profile in routine affairs at the United Nations.