CAIRO, Feb 9 (KUNA) -- The Arab League strongly condemned Israeli occupation decisions aimed at altering the legal and administrative status of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in the West Bank.
In a statement on Monday, the League said the measures, especially lifting secrecy from land records, facilitating the seizure of private Palestinian property, and transferring planning and licensing powers in the city of Al-Khalil and the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque to Israeli occupation authorities, constitute a flagrant violation of relevant international legitimacy resolutions. These include UN Security Council resolutions, the Fourth Geneva Convention, the 1997 Hebron Agreement, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice affirming the illegality of annexation and the necessity of ending the occupation.
The Arab League warned that imposing so-called "oversight and enforcement" on Palestinian buildings in areas classified as A and B under the pretext of protecting heritage or archaeological sites serves as a false legal cover for demolition, confiscation, and ethnic cleansing policies. It said such actions aim to undermine the Palestinian presence and impose irreversible colonial realities on the ground.
The League reiterated its steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution.
The statement followed approval by Israel's political and security cabinet on Sunday of several decisions aimed at changing the judicial and civil reality and deepening Israeli control in the West Bank. (end) mm.aa