Hamas alongside all Palestinian factions has reaffirmed its commitment to defend Palestinian rights and holy sites with all means possible and at any cost.

In a political memorandum penned by Hamas official Basem Naim, the movement condemned the Israeli occupation’s aggression and racist schemes targeting Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to its human rights abuses and violations of international law and international humanitarian law as “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“The acts of aggression and dangerous violations aimed at Judaizing and seizing Jerusalem’s holy sites are part of the Israeli occupation’s schemes intended to wipe out the Muslim and Christian features of Palestine and change the status quo in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in violation of all international conventions and resolutions,” Naim added.

The Hamas official called on the international community and international organisations to act to put an end to such violations and to prosecute the Israeli occupation and its leaders as war criminals before the International Criminal Court.

Full text of the memorandum is attached below.

POLITICAL MEMORANDUM

ISRAELI CRIMES AND VIOLATIONS AGAINST AL-QUDS AND AL-AQSA MOSQUE

The Israeli occupation continues to violate international law and international humanitarian law and to infringe on the legal and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy city of Jerusalem. 

Meanwhile, the central rabbinical institution of extremist temple groups is preparing to carry out a series of serious desecrations and violations during the upcoming Jewish holiday season late this month and early October as part of the celebration of the so-called Hebrew New Year and Sukkot and with full protection from the Israeli apartheid state and its extremist government.

This comes in light of the electoral race over the votes of the Zionist extremists in preparation for the Knesset elections beginning next November, which threatens to ignite the entire region, and would lead to an escalation with ominous consequences.

These schemes are an extension of the previous Zionist violations and provocations against Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Quds, which led to several dangerous waves of escalation that contributed to the shattering security and stability in the previous years. The most dangerous of such escalations was the second intifada, “the Al-Aqsa Intifada,” that broke out after Ariel Sharon stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in September 2000, under the protection of the occupation forces.

These serious and repeated violations resulted in the shedding of a lot of Palestinian blood, loss of life and many casualties at the hands of the apartheid occupation forces and settlers. Recently, the Zionist attacks and violations against Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa have blatantly multiplied. As of 2022, more than 27,000 settlers have stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and they plan to reach 50,000 this year, double the number of the last year.

In 2021, the number of settlers that stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque reached more than 34,000 settlers, an increase of about 84%, compared to 2020, which was the largest number of fanatical settlers storming the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque since 2009. This significant increase confirms the malicious intentions of the Israeli military occupation state. The Israeli occupation forces killed 6 citizens from the city of Jerusalem, including the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, arrested 2,012 citizens, including children and women, and demolished more than 90 homes belong to Palestinian Jerusalemites.

These aggressive acts and serious breaches are aimed at Judaizing and stealing sanctities, erasing the Muslim and Arab character of Al-Quds and its historical, heritage and cultural identity, and displacing the original residents of Al-Quds, as has been taking place to the Jerusalemites of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods and others, in addition to the ongoing excavations under the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which would lead to its collapse. The continuous storming and desecration of the holy Mosque by fanatical settlers is in line with the objectives and schemes of the Zionist occupation aiming at obliterating the ancient Islamic and Christian landmarks in Palestine and imposing false illusions reflecting the occupation regime’s arrogance, domination and force of arms to change the status quo in Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, in stark breach of all international charters and resolutions.

It should be noted here the text of UN Security Council Resolution No. 252 of 1968 states that the Security Council “Considers that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, including expropriation of land and properties thereon, which tend to change the legal status of Jerusalem are invalid ad cannot change that status."

International law and the Charter of the United Nations forbid the use of wars as a means of expansion, domination and settling international disputes. International law and the Geneva Conventions of 1949 regulate the powers of the occupying authorities until the occupation ends and Arab sovereignty is restored over Jerusalem and oblige the occupation authorities not to exploit the abnormal state of occupation or forbids the abuse of power by the occupying state.

The Charter of the United Nations affirms that the annexation of Jerusalem is a false procedure, and what is built on falsehood is false. It is absolutely not permissible to justify annexation with Biblical and Talmudic reasons, allegations and myths, and it is absolutely impermissible to justify annexation as a result of the June War of 1967, which was ignited by the Zionist enemy in contravention of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter and in flagrant violation of the right of the people of Jerusalem and its citizens to self-determination.

Thus, international laws and charters condemned the Israeli actions and practices against Al-Quds and called for the annulment of all administrative and legal measures that took place and affected the historical situation of the holy city, including the confiscation of land and real estate, the demolition of homes and shops, and the deportation of Jerusalem figures and citizens. They stressed the necessity of the return of all displaced persons who were forced to leave, in explicit violation of the following international laws, agreements, charters and declarations: international law, international humanitarian law, the Hague Conventions of 1907 and 1954 and their protocol, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and its protocol, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Declaration and the African Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms, and the Charter of the International Criminal Court in Rome.

Based on the foregoing, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas affirms that what is happening in Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, including the acceleration of the forms of aggression and the rabid pace of racist Zionist schemes, and flagrant violations of human rights and the rules of international law and international humanitarian law, all constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the Israeli occupation bears full responsibility for the repercussions of these violations in Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, considering that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is also a holy shrine for more than 1.7 billion Muslims around the world.

Hamas and all Palestinian factions affirm their absolute commitment to defend the rights and sanctities of the Palestinian people, by all means available, whatever the cost may be.

Once again, Hamas calls on the international community and international bodies and organizations to take all necessary steps to prevent these serious violations that may lead to inflaming the entire region, and Hamas affirms the following:

1.           "Israel" must immediately and unconditionally put an end to all provocative and hostile actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

2.           Immediate action should be taken to hold the Israeli colonial occupation accountable and to bring the issue of Israeli crimes and violations against Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa before the International Criminal Court to try the leaders of the occupation as war criminals.

3.           To pressure "Israel" to fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under international law and international humanitarian law, and to respect the legal and historical situation in Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rest of the Palestinian territories.

Department of Politics and Foreign Relations

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - Gaza