The spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has described the next 10 days as “decisive and dangerous” over Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
“We are not confident that Israel and the United States will retract and, on this basis, we made our decision that annexation is rejected, and the next steps depend on what will happen during these 10 days,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh said.
He added that a "national decision" has been taken by several sides, including the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee, Fatah’s central committee, and the Palestinian Authority, that annexation is rejected.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that “this is a principled position.”
There is no alternative to a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. “Our next steps will be in line with this position and with international legitimacy,” he said.
In a further attempt to pressure Israel, Fatah movement Central Committee Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub has warned that Palestinians are ready to "move to another step of resistance if necessary."
"The Palestinian people will not suffer alone, nor die alone if Israel goes ahead with the unilateral annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank," said Rajoub.
He noted that Fatah has called on Palestinians for a demonstration on Monday in the Jordan Valley, which is at risk of annexation by Israel.
Rajoub told reporters that representatives of the international community, including United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, will attend the protest and address the masses.
There are two messages to be delivered, first that we commit to the Palestinian Ministry of Health instructions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and second that annexation will not happen, he stressed.
