The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has strongly condemned the recent sanctions approved this week by the European Union against ten members of its politburo, which it interprets as an attempt to "criminalize Palestinian resistance" while, as it denounces, the Israeli leadership remains without consequences and Brussels continues to "turn a blind eye to the genocide" that Israel would be perpetrating in the Gaza Strip.
"This decision has occurred at a time when the occupying government," Hamas stated in a statement, referring to Israel, "continues to commit crimes of genocide, starvation, and forced displacement against our people, and violates the ceasefire agreement."
"While the European Union turns a blind eye to these documented violations of International law, it chooses to punish political leaders who defend the legitimate rights of their people," Hamas reproached.
For the Palestinian organization, this package of restrictive measures does not alter the reality on the ground: "The Palestinian people live under occupation, their resistance is a legitimate right guaranteed by all human laws and norms, and the occupation is the root of the conflict and the source of instability."
Hamas, finally, accuses Brussels of "yielding to the designs" of Israel, understanding that the sanctions against its politburo "are a response to the pressure of the occupation and are not based on standards of justice."
Hamas finally urges the European Union to review its "partial" policies, to stop "providing political cover for the occupation and to work to hold its leaders accountable instead of persecuting the victims."
The movement affirmed that these measures "will not undermine the will of our Palestinian people nor their adherence to their legitimate national rights, among which stand out freedom, self-determination, the end of the occupation, and the establishment of the Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital."