Jerusalem: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemned the Israeli government's approval of new settlement construction in the 'E1' area, including thousands of units in and around occupied Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the ministry emphasized that this plan will isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, submerge it in massive settlement blocs, and destroy prospects for the two-state solution by fragmenting the West Bank into disconnected enclaves resembling open-air prisons. The ministry's statement highlighted the severe implications of this approval, labeling it as official Israeli involvement in crimes of settlement, annexation, genocide, and forcible displacement, which aim at erasing the Palestinian cause and denying Palestinian rights.
The ministry warned that international complacency and reliance solely on statements of condemnation serve to embolden Israel, which it accuses of openly targeting the very idea of a Palestinian state. It called for genuine international action, including sanctions, to compel Israel to halt its colonial schemes, end its policies of annexation and displacement, and respect the international consensus on resolving the Palestinian question.
Furthermore, the ministry stressed that Israel's approval of settlement construction in 'E1' makes the swift recognition of the State of Palestine an urgent necessity.
