|
The Palestinian Presidency on Sunday (local time) condemned Israel's security cabinet decision to change land registration and property acquisition procedures in areas A and B of the West Bank, news agency WAFA reported.
The Presidency called the move an escalation and a flagrant violation of international law. In a statement, the Presidency said the move to classify West Bank land as "state property" under Israeli authority constitutes a direct threat to security and stability. It stressed that the measure amounts to de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory. According to WAFA, the Presidency added that the step nullifies signed agreements and violates UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which affirms that all Israeli settlement activity in the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity. The Presidency has called on the international community, including the UN Security Council and the United States, to intervene and to compel Israel to comply with international resolutions to attenuate tensions. Earlier this month, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also expressed concerns over the Israeli security cabinet's decisions. 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 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 It further mentioned that the cabinet action also repealed a legal provision that prevented non-Muslims from buying real estate in the area. (ANI)
|
