Hamas warns U.S. over embassy relocation to Jerusalem

By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY (AA) - Palestinian resistance group Hamas has warned against U.S. plans to relocate the its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel’s capital.

This “would represent a U.S. assault on the city and give legitimacy to [Israel] over the city,” Hamas said in a statement on Saturday.

U.S. media on Wednesday said President Donald Trump was planning to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Hamas said such a U.S. move “would give a cover to Israel to pursue the judaization of Jerusalem and expulsion of the Palestinians from the city”, going on to call on Arab and Islamic nations to work to halt the expected U.S. decision.

During his election, Trump promised to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem remains at the core of the perennial Israel-Palestine conflict, as Palestinians want Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.