Israel 'Invaded' the Occupation in the West Bank of Palestine, Trump's 'Board of Peace' Has Not Spoken

JAKARTA - The Palestinian government has condemned a number of recent Israeli decisions in the occupied West Bank as "illegal" steps, and stressed that the policy will not prevent the Palestinian people from establishing an independent state.

It is true that Trump opposed the annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported.

But to this day, Trump has not spoken out publicly about Israel's occupation of the West Bank, although previously, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.

"A stable West Bank maintains Israel's security and is in line with this administration's goal of achieving peace in the region," Ravid said on the US social media, X, quoting a White House official.

The Israeli Security Cabinet previously approved a series of decisions that allow Israelis to buy land in the occupied West Bank, revoking Jordanian-era laws governing land ownership since 1967, and expanding Israeli authority over areas under Palestinian civilian control.

The decision includes the repeal of rules prohibiting the sale of Palestinian land to Jewish residents in the West Bank, the reopening of land ownership records, and the transfer of authority to issue building permits in a residential block in Hebron from the Palestinian city authorities to the Israeli civil administration.

These steps are illegal steps to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in various ways, said the Palestinian government after a weekly meeting in Ramallah.

The government also called on all government and private institutions not to be involved in Israel's new policy and to continue to comply with Palestinian laws and regulations.

The Palestinian government reiterated its rejection of any form of violation of the historical status of Islamic and Christian holy sites, referring to Israel's recent decision to transfer authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Hebron City Government to the Israeli Civil Administration.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the policy is expected to bring major changes to the mechanism for registering and purchasing land in the West Bank.

The cabinet's decision coincides with Israel's increased military operations in the West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, which includes deadly shootings, arrests, deportations, and expansion of settlements as a step towards the official annexation of the territory.

At least 1,112 Palestinians were reported killed, around 11,500 people were injured, and more than 21,000 people were arrested during the period of the Israeli invasion.

In a landmark opinion issued in July last year, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory an illegal act and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.