Israel’s annexation plans ‘illegal’, says UN human rights chief

Israel’s plans to annex a swathe of occupied Palestinian territory are “illegal”, according to the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human Rights who warned that such a move would have a disastrous impact on the rights of people across the region.

“Annexation is illegal. Period. Any annexation. Whether it is 30 per cent of the West Bank, or 5 per cent,” Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Monday, urging Israel to reverse its decision and retreat from a “dangerous path.”

“The precise consequences of annexation cannot be predicted. But they are likely to be disastrous for the Palestinians, for Israel itself, and for the wider region.”

The Israeli government is expected to detail later this week how to implement its US-backed Middle East peace plan. The proposal, unveiled earlier this year, includes Israel annexing settlements in the West Bank and Jordan Valley.

The Israeli entity occupied the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and has built dozens of settlements that are now home to nearly 500,000 Israeli settlers. But it never formally claimed it as an Israeli territory due to international opposition.

Source : AFP