By Xinhua
Gaza : Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Saturday that Israel’s recent settlement expansion plan “was a slap on the faces of all those who attended” a U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference.
“This (Israel’s settlement expansion plan) is a clear lesson of the international and the Arabic presence which made the face of the occupation beautiful through this meeting,” Hamas’ spokesman Fawzi Barhoom said.
Israel announced last week that it plans to build 307 new homes in Har Homa, a neighborhood being built in east Jerusalem, drawing accusations from the Palestinians.
The Israeli move came just days after both sides agreed to restart peace negotiations on final-status issues during the U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis, Maryland.
According to the first phase of the Road Map, Israel must freeze settlement activities in the West Bank. “The building of new settlements on the Palestinian land is part of the occupation’s policy to divide the land and create new facts to demolish the Palestinian rights and principles,” Barhoom added.
He continued that Annapolis conference has provided Israel with an international cover “for its aggressive policies.”