Intensifying the annexation of Palestinian territory, Israel throws a hot ball to Hamas

JAKARTA - The Ambassador of Palestine to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansourn, warned of the increasing activity of Israeli military and civilian annexation in Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

The activities include increased military operations and violence by illegal Israeli settlers, and the expansion of illegal settlements, including the E1 settlement project, which is a form of annexation of Palestinian territory.

Some 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced in the territory over the past two years. The highest figure since 1967.

Mansourn said this when speaking at a high-level meeting (Summit) of the UN Security Council (UNSC), Wednesday local time, quoted from AN.

He added, the Israeli government does not respect international law by defying the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order to comply with humanity and is confirmed to violate the UN convention.

He emphasized that Israel has no sovereignty in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.

On that occasion, Mansour also responded positively to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza initiated by the US. He also praised the role of the Government of President Donald Trump and other international mediators.

However, behind the good intentions of the Palestinians, Mansour stressed that Israel repeatedly violated the points of the ceasefire.

Furthermore, Mansour said that Palestinians still see opportunities for peace in Gaza. He reiterated calls for a two-state solution, and international efforts to move forward from a ceasefire agreement towards an end to the occupation and lasting peace under international law.

"Gaza must remain an integral part of the Palestinian territory and be reunited with the West Bank under the rule of the Palestinian Authority," he said.

He stressed that he rejected any plan to divide or impose permanent external control over Gaza.

"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people - not to others," Mansour said.

Accepting it, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the council that his country had achieved its first war goal by securing the return of all Israeli hostages, and now focuses on its second goal: the full disarmament of Hamas.

Danon explained that progress towards the reconstruction of Gaza and the implementation of the next phase of the ceasefire agreement depended on the demolition of Hamas' military infrastructure, including its weapons, command structures, and tunnels. Israel again threw the hot ball for its actions in Palestine to Hamas despite the ceasefire being implemented after it was agreed upon.

"There is no possible civil future as long as the group is still armed," he added.

Danon said Hamas continues to delay its disarmament.

He then claimed a wider regional threat from Iran, a country that only attacks Israel as a retaliatory effort.