Amnesty International said on Thursday that Israel’s latest decisions to seize occupied Palestinian land reflect an expansion of its agenda and policies aimed at annexing the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty.
In a statement, the organization said Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and seizure of Palestinian land are accelerating the annexation process, noting that Israel continues to take over more land and establish illegal settlements on it.
Amnesty stressed that Israel’s seizure of land under the control of the State of Palestine disregards the rights of Palestinians living under occupation. It said the Israeli military seized 15 plots of land totaling 20 hectares in July alone.
The organization added that Israel plans to build two of the 34 illegal settlements it has decided to establish this year specifically in these areas.
Amnesty also said Israel is establishing military bases by seizing privately owned land and is targeting Palestinian Bedouin communities and herders.
It warned that a road Israel plans to build to serve illegal settlements in Jenin would isolate the governorate from other Palestinian communities.
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Israel is occupying Palestinian land classified as Area A for the first time since the Oslo Accords.
Morayef said the latest seizure orders targeting Area A clearly demonstrate Israel’s continued expansion of its annexation agenda into areas that have been under Palestinian control since the Oslo Accords.
Source:Websites
