Israeli Aggression in Al-Quds: Hamas, Islamic Jihad Warn of Consequences
In separate statements, Hamas and Islamic Jihad both condemned Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of the occupied city.
“The settler violence in Sheikh Jarrah is blatant aggression and playing with fire,” said Hamas spokesman Mohammad Hamada.
“We call on Palestinians to rally in support of our people in Sheikh Jarrah and confront such violence.”
Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad in Palestine warned that the Israeli violence in Sheikh Jarrah might “explode” into something much bigger in Jerusalem al-Quds.
The movement called for all Palestinians to gather in support of Jerusalem al-Quds and Sheikh Jarrah, where local residents cite repeated attacks by illegal settlers, who have stolen Palestinian-owned properties and provoked them.
Last year, tensions ran high in Sheikh Jarrah after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of several Palestinian families in favor of Israeli settlers. This was despite a 1956 agreement between 28 Palestinian families, the Jordanian government — which governed the West Bank, including East Jerusalem al-Quds, before the Israeli occupation in 1967 — and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The agreement allowed the Palestinians to buy their homes in the neighborhood on condition of giving up their refugee status.
For decades, Israeli settlers and settler groups have challenged the ownership of the Palestinian homes built in Sheikh Jarrah. The Israeli courts have been used as a sword against the Palestinians and in favor of the illegal settlers.
Source: Middle East Monitor
