Israel uses Irish recognition of Palestine to justify potentially increasing illegal settlements in West Bank
Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country had discussed “steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria” which it said was “in response to the countries that unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state after 7 October"
NEWS
18 JUN 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country had discussed “steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria” which it said was “in response to the countries that unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state after 7 October"
NEWS
18 JUN 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Irish recognition of a Palestinian state is being used by Israel to justify possibly increasing illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country had discussed “steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria”, which it said was “in response to the countries that unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state after 7 October, as well as a series of responses against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies”.
He added: “The defense minister and the attorney general requested additional time to comment on several of the proposed clauses. The prime minister instructed that all of the proposals be submitted to a vote at the next Security Cabinet meeting.”
Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, formally recognised Palestine as a state on May 28, while Slovenia followed suit in early June. Under international law, all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal.
The development came as Netanyahu dissolved the influential war cabinet tasked with steering the war in Gaza in a move which signalled further divisions in his government over his handling of the conflict.
The war cabinet was dissolved following the departure from the government of Benny Gantz, an opposition legislator who had joined the coalition in the early days of the war. He had demanded that a small cabinet be formed as a way to sideline far-right legislators in Mr Netanyahu’s government.
Irish recognition of a Palestinian state is being used by Israel to justify possibly increasing illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country had discussed “steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria”, which it said was “in response to the countries that unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state after 7 October, as well as a series of responses against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies”.
He added: “The defense minister and the attorney general requested additional time to comment on several of the proposed clauses. The prime minister instructed that all of the proposals be submitted to a vote at the next Security Cabinet meeting.”
Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, formally recognised Palestine as a state on May 28, while Slovenia followed suit in early June. Under international law, all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal.
The development came as Netanyahu dissolved the influential war cabinet tasked with steering the war in Gaza in a move which signalled further divisions in his government over his handling of the conflict.
The war cabinet was dissolved following the departure from the government of Benny Gantz, an opposition legislator who had joined the coalition in the early days of the war. He had demanded that a small cabinet be formed as a way to sideline far-right legislators in Mr Netanyahu’s government.
Mr Gantz, Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant were its members and made key decisions together throughout the war. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the change with the media, said that going forward Mr Netanyahu would hold smaller forums with some of his government members for sensitive issues.
Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
Israel and Hamas are weighing the latest proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages.
The situation in occupied Palestinian territories is drastically worsening because of Israel, the UN's human rights chief has said.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
18 June, 2024
The West Bank has seen the worst unrest for decades, in parallel with the war on Gaza [Getty]
Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are suffering a drastically worsening human rights environment, alongside "unconscionable death and suffering" in the Gaza Strip, the U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday.
"The situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is dramatically deteriorating," Volker Turk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the opening session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The West Bank, where the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule under Israeli occupation, has seen the worst unrest for decades, in parallel with the war on the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.
Turk said that from the start of the Gaza war in October through mid-June, 528 Palestinians, 133 of them children, had been killed by Israeli security forces or settlers in the West Bank, in some cases raising "serious concerns of unlawful killings".
Twenty-three Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and Israel in clashes with or attacks by Palestinians, he said.
In Gaza, Turk said he was "appalled by the disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law" by parties to the war.
"Israel's relentless strikes in Gaza are causing immense suffering and widespread destruction, and the arbitrary denial and obstruction of humanitarian aid have continued," Turk said.
"Israel continues to detain arbitrarily thousands of Palestinians. This must not continue."
He added that Palestinian armed groups were continuing to hold hostages, including in populated areas, which put both the hostages and civilians at risk.
Israel's permanent mission to the U.N. in Geneva accused Turk of "completely omitting the cruelty and barbarity of terrorism" in his address to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Israel's air and ground campaign was triggered when Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Hamas says the attack came in response to decades of Israeli occupation and aggression against the Palestinians.
Israel's unprecedented offensive has killed more than 37,400 people in Gaza, according to its health authorities, and left much of the enclave's population homeless.
No comments:
Post a Comment