On Wednesday, Hamas strongly condemned the United States’ announcement to begin consular services in Efrat, an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank.

In a statement shared with the Shihab News Agency, the organization asserted that this action by the U.S. could be interpreted as a recognition of the legitimacy of the settlement, a point of contention for Palestinians. Hamas emphasized that this decision represents a blatant violation of international law and the rights of Palestinians.Furthermore the group called upon the international community to respond to this provocative move.

Prior to this Gideon Sa’ar the Israeli regime’s Foreign Minister had welcomed the United States’ initiative.