International community’s inaction encourages Israel to press ahead with settlement expansion: Report
The international Community’s failure in enforcing the UN resolutions related to the Palestinian cause has encouraged the Israeli occupation to continue implementing its settlement expansion plans with the aim of imposing fait accompli that kills any hope for establishing the Palestinian State.
In its weekly report, published on Saturday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) National Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlements said that the Security Council failed in its latest session on the 9th of this November to issue a resolution that condemns the Israeli settlement building activities despite the international consensus that settlement building violates the international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution No. 2334, which affirms the illegality of settlements and calls for a stop to settlement building activities.
The report indicated that the northern Jordan Valley and occupied Al-Quds city are being subjected to a heinous settlement building plan aiming at implementing the Israeli annexation schemes. The occupation seized 7667 dunums of Palestinian land in Ariha, west of the Jordan Valley, to expand one of the settlements. The occupation also announced a plan to establish 800 new settlement units to expand a settlement established in the northwest of the occupied city of Al-Quds. This plan threatens with seizing 1,000 dunums of Palestinian land in this area, the report said.
The report added that the occupation also seized lands in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Al-Quds to establish a settlement outpost and handed seven Palestinian families in this neighborhood notices to leave their homes in order to house Israeli settlers instead.
According to the report, the occupation forces demolished five houses in the towns of Jabal Al-Mukabber and Beit Hanina in occupied Al-Quds, two houses in the town of Tarqumiya in Al-Khalil, three in the village of Al-Walja in Bethlehem and several agricultural facilities in the village of Umm Al-Jamal in the northern Jordan Valley. The occupation forces also delivered demolition notices to several houses in the city of Qalqilya and Silwan in Al-Quds and Masafer Yatta in Al-Khalil.
The report pointed out that the Israeli settlers also continued to attack West Bank cities and towns under the protection of the occupation forces. They seized swathes of Palestinian land in the town of Beit Ummar in Al-Khalil to establish a new settlement outpost. They also stormed into the towns of Burin and Qaryout in Nablus as well as Sussiya and Surif in Al-Khalil and attacked the Palestinians’ houses and properties. The settlers also prevented the farmers from entering their lands and uprooted dozens of olive trees in the towns of Taqou’ and Batier in Bethlehem.
Hamda Mustafa