Kuwait condemns Israeli occupation’s expansion of West Bank settlements

The Foreign Ministry expressed Saturday the State of Kuwait's strong condemnation of the Israeli occupation's expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a press statement, the Ministry reiterated Kuwait's rejection of all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. It deplored the occupation's activities as a blatant violation of international conventions that deliberately undermines the international efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. The Ministry urged the international community and the UN Security Council to press the Israeli occupation to fully comply with the relevant UN resolutions. On Thursday, the Israeli Cabinet approved a plan presented by the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to legalize five illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank and impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority. The plan also includes the issuance of tenders for thousands of new housing units in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It also involv es revoking permits and benefits for Palestinian officials, restricting their movement, and preventing senior officials from leaving the country as well as removing executive powers from the Palestinian Authority in the southern West Bank, enforcing laws against unauthorized construction, and protecting heritage sites and environmental areas. Source: Kuwait News Agency