JAKARTA - Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh said Israel's decision to target the occupied West Bank was tantamount to the cancellation of all agreements that had been signed and binding and risked escalating tensions throughout the region.
"What is circulating regarding Israel's upcoming decision to deepen the annexation and impose a new reality in the West Bank, including in Area A, is the cancellation of all agreements that have been signed and are binding between the two parties," al-Sheikh said, quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, February 9.
He assessed Israel's efforts as a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international law.
"These unilateral steps aim to destroy any political prospects, dismantle the two-state solution, and drag the region into further tension and instability," he added.
Al-Sheikh then called on the US government and the international community to immediately intervene to stop the aggression driven by the occupation.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel's Security Cabinet approved measures that change the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to strengthen Israeli control.
Israel's public broadcaster, KAN, reported that the decision includes the repeal of a law banning the sale of Palestinian land to Jewish residents of the West Bank, reopening the land ownership archives.
There is also a transfer of authority for development permits in an Israeli settlement block in Hebron from the Palestinian city government to the Israeli civil administration.
The measures also expand Israel's supervision and enforcement to areas classified as Area A and Area B on the grounds of alleged violations related to unauthorized construction, water issues, and damage to archaeological and environmental sites.
The expansion allows for the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property even in areas that are civically and security managed by the Palestinian Authority.
Based on the 1995 Oslo II Agreement, Area A is under full Palestinian civilian and security control, Area B is under Palestinian civilian control with Israeli security control, while Area C is under full Israeli control and covers about 60 percent of the West Bank.
The United Nations (UN) has stated that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and undermine the viability of the two-state solution, and for decades has called for a cessation of all settlement activity.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
