Roundup: Hamas, Islamic Jihad welcome UNSC vote against Israeli settlement

Both Gaza ruling Islamic Hamas movement and the less influential Islamic Jihad (Holy War) welcomed on Friday the vote in the United Nations Security Council, which condemned the Israeli settlements and called on Israel to halt them in the Palestinian territories.

Mushir al-Masri, a senior Gaza Hamas leader told Xinhua that Hamas movement welcomed the vote of the Security Council member states in favor of the resolution, adding that Hamas believes that the resolution that condemns settlements clearly reiterates the world's rejection to the policy of Israel.

Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that Hamas highly evaluate the position of the states that voted in favor of the resolution.

"Hamas welcomes the vote in favor of the resolution and welcomes the positive changes in the international positions that support the Palestinian rights at the international agencies," said Barhoum, adding that Hamas calls on the world to do more for the just Palestinian cause and for ending the Israeli occupation.

Meanwhile, Dawood Shihab, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that the overwhelming vote in favor of the resolution "is a clear condemnation of the (Israeli) occupation policies and its aggression against the Palestinian people. It is a Palestinian victory."

"The consensus decision of the countries shows that there is an international public opinion against Israel and its policies," said Shihab.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution with 14 votes in favor and one abstention. The United States abstained from voting, which helped to pass the resolution.

The Palestinians considered the overwhelming vote in the UNSC on Friday against the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories "an international consensus on rejecting the Israeli policies against the Palestinians."

Nabil Abu Rdineh, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Xinhua that the decision "is an international consensus and a complete condemnation to the Israeli policy," adding "the voting showed that the world rejects the Israeli policy hostility against peace."

He called on Israel to immediately respond to the resolution and change its policy, and also called on the new United States Administration to be committed to the international consensus.

"The vote in favor of the resolution is a victory to the Palestinian diplomatic policy and to the policy of President Mahmoud Abbas," said Abu Rdineh.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian minister for foreign affairs, Reyad al-Malki, told Xinhua on telephone that "the vote in favor of the resolution in the UNSC is a historic Palestinian achievement," adding "it finally came after 36 years of settlement building in the Palestinian territories." Endit