Hamas condemns Israel's settlement expansion ‘a blatant challenge to international will’

Hamas has reacted to reports of Israel approving 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the move a “blatant challenge to international will and a grave violation of UN resolutions,” Al Jazeera reported.

“We call on the international community to take practical measures to confront the policies of annexation and settlement expansion, which constitute a war crime,” the group said in a statement.

The International Court of Justice last year ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is "unlawful" and Israel “has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible.”