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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed concerns over a series of decisions approved by Israel's security cabinet aimed at authorising administrative and enforcement measures in areas A and B of the West Bank. He called on Israel to reverse the decision which erodes the prospect for two-state solution.
The statement was delivered by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General and said that the Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the reported decision of the Israeli security cabinet to authorise a series of administrative and enforcement measures in the area. "He warns that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, is eroding the prospect for the two-State solution", the statement said. It further called Israeli actions, "not only destabilising but - as recalled by the International Court of Justice - unlawful." The UN Chief called on Israel to reverse the measures so as to preserve the path to lasting peace. Dujarric said, "The Secretary-General calls on Israel to reverse these measures and on all parties to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law." https://x.com/antonioguterres/status/2020931313541288152?s=20 The statement follows after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday announced a series of security cabinet decisions to "dramatically" change land registration and property acquisition procedures in the West Bank, as reported by the Times of Israel. As per the Oslo II Accords, signed in 1995 by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank is divided into three areas- A, B and C wherein Area C is under full Israeli control, Area B is under Palestinian civilian control and Israeli security control, and Area A is under full Palestinian control, Times of Israel mentioned. According to the Times of Israel report, the two ministers in a joint statement said that the decisions "are intended to remove decades-old barriers, repeal discriminatory Jordanian legislation, and enable accelerated development of settlement on the ground". Times of Israel further reported that the approved plan ordered for the publication of land registries in the West Bank, which means that property lists will be open to the public, and potential buyers will be able to identify landowners and approach them for purchasing. Till now, land registration in the West Bank had been classified. It further mentioned that the cabinet action also repealed a legal provision that prevented non-Muslims from buying real estate in the area. Times of Israel cited WAFA News Agency which said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the decisions, calling them illegal and invalid, and demanded the United States and United Nations to intervene to stop their implementation. WAFA said Abbas's office "warned of the dangers of any infringement upon Islamic and Christian holy sites, emphasising that any violation of the Ibrahimi Mosque and the transfer of authority over it are unacceptable," using a Muslim term for the Hebron compound. (ANI)
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