Palestine condemns Smotrich’s remarks, urges international action

• The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned remarks by ‘Israeli’ Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling for a full-scale war in the occupied West Bank and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.
• The ministry warned that the statements threatened further attacks, forced displacement and annexation of Palestinian territory.
• It called on the UN Security Council and the US administration to take immediate action to halt ‘Israeli’ military operations, settlement expansion and displacement.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned comments by ‘Israeli’ Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling for a full-scale war in the occupied West Bank and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.

The ministry said the remarks amounted to an explicit call for further escalation and more serious violations against Palestinians, warning that they reflected plans for gradual annexation and forced displacement.

It said such policies would undermine prospects for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and were contrary to international law, international resolutions and agreements previously signed by the parties.

The ministry also accused the ‘Israeli’ government of pursuing a broader policy of killings, displacement, settlement expansion and land confiscation in an effort to impose a new demographic and geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It said the Palestinian Authority and official institutions of the State of Palestine were an integral part of the Palestinian national project and among the main achievements in the pursuit of an independent, sovereign state.

The ministry held the ‘Israeli’ government responsible for any attempt to undermine those institutions or limit their powers, warning that such moves could have serious local and regional consequences.

It also warned that continued international silence over what it described as inflammatory statements and aggressive policies could encourage further action and contribute to greater instability in the region.

The ministry called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council and the US administration, to take immediate and concrete measures to compel ‘Israel’ to halt its actions against Palestinians.

It also called for an end to settlement activity, annexation and forced displacement, as well as international protection for Palestinian cities, refugee camps and national institutions.

The ministry said peace and stability required an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Read more: Palestine thanks King Abdullah II for "courageous" UN speech