Amman: The Senate's Palestine Committee, chaired by Mazen Darwazeh, has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a statement released on Sunday, the committee described the approval as a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, asserting that it deliberately undermines efforts to achieve peace based on the two-state solution.
According to Jordan News Agency, the committee emphasized that the Israeli government's settlement activity constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law and a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and UN resolutions. This move is seen as defying international and UN documents amidst global silence and continued impunity. The committee highlighted that Israel's settlement activities directly attack the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The senators further asserted that the Israeli occupation lacks sovereignty over the West Bank, as it is considered occupied Palestinian territory. They declared all unilateral measures by Israel, including settlement construction and land annexation, as null and void with no legal effect. The committee urged the international community, particularly the Security Council and the United Nations, to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities by taking effective measures to halt Israeli settlement activity.
The statement concluded by calling for accountability for the Israeli government regarding its ongoing violations and emphasized the need for diligent action to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, safeguarding prospects for a just and comprehensive peace in the region.