“The recent announcement by a Cabinet Minister of the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to legalize under Israeli law five settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank is deeply concerning,” Wennesland wrote on his X account on Sunday.
“Such actions, alongside other steps that undermine the PA & entrench settlement advancement in WB, exacerbate tensions & diminish viability of achieving a negotiated peace on the basis of a 2-State solution.”
He further stressed that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions.
Meanwhile, the European Union in a statement condemned the announcement by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich that five outposts are to be legalized in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is another deliberate attempt at undermining peace efforts.
The EU urged Israel to reverse these decisions.
“In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties,” the statement read.
“The EU stresses that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop and calls on Israel to release withheld clearance revenues and to take the necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place,” it added.
“The EU reiterates its unwavering commitment to lasting and sustainable peace in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, on the basis of the two-state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition.”
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