Israel's annexation of Palestinian land is blatant

JAKARTA - The Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said Israel's annexation of Palestinian land occurred openly and without challenge.

"Today is the first day of Ramadan, the holy month (of Muslims), which should be a month of peace and spiritual reflection. However, Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories are deprived of their ability to carry out their worship freely and peacefully," Mansour said in a session of the UN Security Council. reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Thursday, February 19.

Mansour said that Israel's goal for a long time was to expel the Palestinians to seize Palestinian land.

"The scale and speed have changed drastically, but the tools and the goal remain the same: settlement and settler terror, land confiscation under various pretexts and the destruction of homes, the takeover of land registration - all for the ultimate goal: annexation," he said.

The Palestinian envoy stressed that Palestine belongs to the Palestinian people, not to be disputed, and not to be sold. Palestine, he continued, is not a land without people, and despite all its efforts, Israel will not be able to turn Palestine into a people without land.

"Israel's latest decisions mean we have reached the end of the road; annexation is now happening openly, without challenge. This will determine the future of our region and destroy it," he said.

When referring to the ceasefire in Gaza, Mansour said it saved the lives of Palestinians and Israelis.

"President Donald Trump, through the ceasefire, helped free Israeli hostages, but the suffering of the Palestinian people is far from over," he said.

"Israel does not want a ceasefire. Its goal remains occupation, annexation, and forced expulsion in Gaza, which is now divided into two in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," Mansour added.

"The question before us is clear: Israel must choose between annexation and peace," he continued.

By calling for international action, Mansour urged member states to affirm that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are one unified territory of the State of Palestine.

"The two-state solution must not become the illusion of two states," he added.