The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi, condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation government’s decision to convert lands in the West Bank into so-called “national lands”, stressing that this decision is a clear declaration of the start of the implementation of the actual annexation plan of Palestinian land and a sanctification of the colonial settlement policy in open defiance of international law and international will.
Mr. Al Yamahi stressed that this “aggressive measure” is a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and stability, undermines any chance of achieving a just and inclusive peace, and constitutes a “clear violation” of international legitimacy resolutions, in particular UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms the illegality of settlements in all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
The Speaker of the Arab Parliament explained that the conversion of land into “state property” based on the authority of the occupying entity is an invalid legal cover for the dispossession of Palestinian land and is inconsistent with the rules of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on the illegality of occupation and related unilateral measures.
The President of the Arab Parliament called on the international community, the United Nations and the Security Council to take legal and moral responsibility, take practical steps to immediately end these measures, and hold the authorities of the occupying entity to real accountability.
He stressed that continued impunity encourages further escalation and violations, and reiterated the Arab Parliament’s affirmation that the Palestinian people remain the holders of inherent rights to their land and that any attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty over any part of the occupied Palestinian territories is null and void by law.
The Israeli government’s decision, approved by the Israeli Cabinet yesterday (Sunday), was taken as the first official step to restart the land registration process in the West Bank since its occupation in the June 1967 war (Six-Day War).
The decision allows Palestinian land to be converted into Israeli “state land,” encourages the construction of settlements, prevents Palestinians from claiming property rights, and is estimated to affect about 62% of the West Bank’s area.
Historically, Israel has frozen post-occupation registration procedures to avoid recognizing Palestinian rights, but the issue is now being seen as an attempt to establish actual annexation, especially following past decisions such as the annexation of the Jordan Valley in 2020.
The decision violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits changing the status of occupied territory, Security Council resolution 2334, which condemns settlements as illegal, and the International Court of Justice’s latest opinion in July 2024, which obliges Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi, strongly condemned the Israeli occupation government’s decision to turn the West Bank into so-called “state-owned land”, asserting that this decision is a clear declaration of the beginning of the actual annexation plan of Palestinian land and an intensification of colonial settlement policies in a blatant challenge to international law and international will.
Mr. Al-Yamahi stressed that this “aggressive measure” is a serious escalation that threatens regional security and stability, undermines any chance of achieving a just and inclusive peace, and is a “clear violation” of international legitimacy decisions, the foremost of which is UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms the illegality of settlements in all Palestinian occupied territories since 1967.
The Speaker of the Arab Parliament clarified that the conversion of land into “national property” under the authority of the occupying entity is a false legal cover for the dispossession of Palestinian land and is inconsistent with the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as well as with the Advisory Opinions issued by the International Court of Justice on the illegality of the occupation and related unilateral measures.
He called on the international community, the United Nations and the Security Council to take legal and moral responsibility and take practical steps to immediately end these measures and hold the authorities of the occupying entity to real accountability.
He asserted that continued impunity encourages further escalation and violations, and reiterated the Arab Parliament’s assertion that the Palestinian people remain the rightful owners of their land and that any attempt to impose Israeli autonomy on any part of the occupied Palestinian territories is null and void and legally void.
The Israeli government’s decision, approved by the Israeli Cabinet yesterday (Sunday), was taken as the first formal step to restart land registration procedures in the West Bank since its occupation in the 1967 June War (Six-Day War).
The decision, which allows Palestinian land to be converted into Israeli “state land”, facilitates the construction of settlements and prevents Palestinians from claiming property rights, is estimated to affect about 62% of the West Bank’s area.
Historically, Israel has frozen post-occupation registration procedures to avoid recognizing Palestinian rights, but the current situation is seen as an attempt to entrench de facto annexation, especially following past decisions such as the annexation of the Jordan Valley in 2020.
The decision violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits changing the status of occupied territory, Security Council resolution 2334, which condemns settlements as illegal, and the recent International Court of Justice opinion in July 2024, which obliges Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories.
