KUWAIT: Int'l inaction encouraged Israel to continue defiance of int'l community

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has reiterated that the continued international inaction has clearly encouraged Israel to continue its defiance and intransigence in front of the will of the international community, violating international law and defying resolutions of international legitimacy.
This was stated in Kuwait's speech at the Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue delivered by Permanent Representative Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi.
Al-Otaibi said that the Security Council, in resolution 2334, demands that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and fully respect all its legal obligations in this regard.
He stressed that Israel, the occypying power, while continuing to build and expand illegal settlements in the occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, sent a clear message that it was determined to continue.
Al-Otaibi noted that building new settlements, expanding existing settlements and annexing land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, undermines the opportunity to establish a Palestinian state based on relevant Security Council resolutions and a two-state solution.
He added that the measures taken by Israel and the policies pursued by the occupying Power on an ongoing basis and disregard of world opinion is clearly reflected in its recent announcement to approve the establishment of more than 2,300 housing units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Al-Otaibi stated that this latest step was followed by the recent provocative declaration of the intention to annex territories from the occupied West Bank in 1967 in flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter and the relevant international resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
He explained that the illegal Israeli annexation plans for the Palestinian territories led to an increase in the number of settlers, which in turn contributed to the increase in the number of violent and criminal attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians, which are still taking place under the eyes of the Israeli occupation forces.
"The responsibility of the international community is clear and it is more urgent than ever to maintain international law and hold Israel accountable for all its violations, including campaigns to seize Palestinian buildings and houses, arbitrary arrests of Palestinian civilians and unilateral decisions," he said.
He pointed to the decision to withhold part of the tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority, the pressures on UNRWA and the targeting of demonstrators participating in the Great Return march with live ammunition, which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Al-Otaibi pointed out that the absence of any serious measures to activate accountability pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2334 and other relevant UN resolutions has unfortunately led to the persistence of the occupying Power in its flagrant violations of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.(end).
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