https://arab.news/nas2d
- Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that maps were being drawn up for annexing territory in the occupied West Bank
RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi on Wednesday condemned statements by an Israeli minister calling for the expansion of settlements and the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that maps were being drawn up for annexing territory in the occupied West Bank, land the Palestinians seek for a future state.
At a press conference in Jerusalem, Smotrich stood before a map that appeared to suggest the annexation of most of the West Bank, leaving out only six major Palestinian cities, including Ramallah and Nablus.
Al-Budaiwi said the “dangerous and suspicious” calls reflect the occupation’s continued systematic approach to destabilizing security and stability in the region. He stressed that such actions undermine prospects for peace, defy international conventions, and represent ongoing violations of international laws and norms.
He urged the international community to take “immediate and deterrent measures” to halt these provocative statements and practices by Israeli authorities.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the GCC’s firm support for the Palestinian people in resisting such policies, reiterating the Council’s backing of their legitimate rights. He emphasized the GCC’s unwavering commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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