Palestine warns of Israeli settlement plans to seize 100 sites in occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Authority (PA) warned Wednesday of Israeli-backed settlement plans aimed at seizing 100 strategic points across the occupied West Bank.

In a statement carried by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, the PA said the Israeli plans represent a “dangerous escalation and a further entrenchment of Israel’s annexation and settlement policies.”

It said the plans are intended “to destroy any opportunity for peace and stability.”

The PA accused the Israeli government of continuing to impose facts on the ground in Palestinian territory “in an attempt to undermine the two-state solution and all international efforts aimed at ending the occupation.”

It reiterated that all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, are “illegal, null and void” under international law.

The authority stressed that illegal settlement activities violate UN resolutions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, and “do not grant Israel any sovereign rights” over occupied Palestinian land.

The PA held the Israeli government responsible for the consequences of continued settlement expansion, warning that further such measures could lead to greater regional escalation.

It also called on the international community, particularly the US administration, to take immediate action to halt settlement activity and compel Israel to comply with international law.

On Monday, Israeli daily Israel Hayom revealed a settlement plan to take control of around 100 strategic points inside Area A of the occupied West Bank.

According to the report, the targeted points are located deep inside Area A, which falls under full Palestinian civil and security control under the Oslo II Accord.

Under the 1995 accord, the West Bank is divided into Areas A, B and C. Area A is under full Palestinian control, Area B is under Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control, while Area C remains under full Israeli control and accounts for roughly 60% of the occupied West Bank.

The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, based on international resolutions that do not recognize Israel’s 1967 occupation or its 1980 annexation of the city.