Ramallah: The Palestinian Presidency has issued a grave warning regarding the Israeli occupation's recent decision to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as state property.
According to Kuwait News Agency, this move is seen as a significant threat to regional security and stability.
In an official statement, the Presidency highlighted that the classification of West Bank land under Israeli authority is tantamount to de facto annexation. This step is perceived as the initiation of plans aimed at consolidating the occupation through the expansion of illegal settlements. The Presidency further emphasized that such actions effectively nullify existing agreements and directly contravene United Nations Security Council resolutions, notably Resolution 2334. This resolution asserts that Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, lacks legal validity and violates international law.
The statement from the Palestinian Presidency asserted that these unilateral actions by Israel do not confer any legitimacy over the Palestinian territories. It reiterated that the legal and historical status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip remains unchanged as occupied territories under international law.
The Presidency urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council and the United States administration, to promptly intervene to prevent these dangerous actions by the Israeli occupation. The call to action stressed the need for adherence to international law and legitimacy to reduce tensions and reestablish stability.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli government approved a proposal to restart land registration procedures in the West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described this as an unprecedented move since 1967, intended to counter what he described as unilateral actions by Palestinians or the international community. Smotrich stated that the Israeli government is advancing a "settlement revolution" to assert sovereignty and full control over the West Bank.