JERUSALEM: A senior Palestinian official on Friday strongly rejected a move by Israel’s finance minister to promote new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
He said the action was aimed at pursuing a war of genocide against Palestinians. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said the settlements were illegal and violated all international resolutions.
He told Reuters that the intention of the decisions by the occupation government was to pursue the war of genocide against the Palestinian people.
He added the PLO and the Palestinian Authority would continue to press international courts to punish Israel for crimes against the people of Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has dismissed allegations brought by South Africa at the UN’s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinians in the besieged territory.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israeli relentless bombardment has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians mostly women and children.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday said he was advancing to including revoking various benefits and approvals for senior officials in the Palestinian Authority and approving new settlements.
The Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule under 1990s interim peace deals in the West Bank, which Israel took over in the 1967 Middle East war.
Palestinians and most of the global community regard Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal.
