In a statement, Hamas hailed all the countries that supported the UNESCO’s new resolutions, calling such United Nations resolutions as “important to expose and criminalize the Israeli occupation government’s violations against the Palestinian land and holy sites.”

The Movement urged the UN and the international community to pressure the Israeli government to respect these resolutions and stop violating the international law and the international humanitarian law.

On Wednesday, during its 221st session held in Paris, UNESCO’s executive board unanimously adopted two resolutions concerning Palestine: “Occupied Palestine” and “Cultural and Educational Institutions.”

The resolutions call for Israel to halt excavation projects and construction activities in Occupied Jerusalem, including its Old City and surrounding areas, as well as at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil, in the south of the occupied West Bank.

They also demand an end to all Israeli colonialist activities, including the construction of the separation wall and settler roads, restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, and denial of Muslims’ access to places of worship.

These measures are aimed at countering Israel’s attempts to alter the character, identity, and social fabric of the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the resolutions, east Jerusalem and its walls, the Aqsa Mosque, the Old City of al-Khalil, and the Ibrahimi Mosque are an integral part of Palestine’s cultural heritage. These sites require special protection from destruction, alterations, or military deployment.