Israel defies the international community and continues with its goal of annexing the West Bank. has approved for the first time since the beginning of the military occupation of the interior territory in 1967 the designation of areas of the West Bank as “state property”“, as confirmed by Israeli public radio and television CAN.
The initiative, presented by the Minister of Finance and far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich, the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin and the Minister of Defense, has been classified by the Palestinian Authority as a ‘de facto’ annexation of a large part of the territory.
“It is a threat to security and stability, and a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy,” lamented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a statement collected by the agency. DIED, where he wanted to remember that this measure violates international norms and law.
“These unilateral measures will not grant any legitimacy to the occupation on the land of the State of Palestine and will not change the legal and historical fact that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, is occupied Palestinian territory under international law and international legitimacy,” he added.
Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine
Not just Gaza: Israel’s three objectives
The idea is not new; In fact, it is something that Israel has been announcing and practicing for some time. In East Jerusalem, for example, the Israeli administration announced that it intended to complete the registration of 100% of the land by 2029. This would facilitate the eviction of Palestinians from their homes on these lands, as well as the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
The measure announced in the West Bank also means, a challenge to both the international community, who has already refused to do so before, like the president of the United StatesDonald Trump, who is exposed after ensuring that he was not going to accept any annexation of the West Bank. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. I will not allow it. It is not going to happen. Enough is enough. It is time to stop,” the Republican exclaimed in September.
Since the Oslo II agreements (1995), the territory has been divided into three parts: A, B and C. The first two (A and B) make up about 40% of the territory and are under the control of the Palestinian Authority, while C represents more than half of the territory, 60%, under Israeli control. Therefore, this measure could go against said agreement.
It should be noted that, since 1967, Israel occupies three territories: the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. However, in the media, these last two named occupations have not been as disseminated as the first. In other words, while the world looks at Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem are forgotten.
