Officials from the Palestinian Authority have stated that any Israeli step towards annexing West Bank territories would be deemed as a “crime war”. They vowed to confront all Israeli measures even if this leads to the Authority's collapse.
Palestinian government spokesperson Ibrahim Melhem said that it warns Israel against plans to annex lands from the West Bank, recalling the move would amount to a war crime.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour pledged to politically and legally confront Israeli plots.
The Palestinian stance came in response to steps taken by Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to annex Area C in the West Bank.
Area C accounts for over 61 percent of the West Bank with some 400,000 Israeli settlement residents living there. Bennett revealed an intention to increase the total to one million during one decade.
The Oslo II Accord divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. Area A is under Palestine's complete civil and military control. Area B is under Palestinian civil control but Israeli military control. Area C is under full Israeli civil and military control.
Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of both the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee, said that the PA will separate itself from Israel even if this leads to its collapse.
The Fatah Central Committee denounced statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bennett on transferring settlers to Palestinian territories, saying they do not change the fact that settlements are illegal and should be removed according to international law and resolutions.
The Committee stressed that Israel’s insistence on the policy of settlements, murder, destruction, raids, arrests and challenging the international legitimacy will not bring stability and security to anyone.
It held US President Donald Trump’s administration responsible for any Israeli escalation against the people and lands because of its clear support to settler crimes.
Further, the European Union reiterated its clear position that “all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and just, lasting and comprehensive peace, as reaffirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 2334.”
“We call on the government of Israel to fully comply with international law, end all settlement activity on occupied territories and related actions.”
The EU “will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by both sides.”
