On Saturday, the Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the Israeli decision to expand the illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank.
The Ministry said that “The State of Qatar strongly criticizes the decision of the Israeli occupation to expand colonies in the West Bank and regards the move as another violation of international legitimacy resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 2334.”
The Ministry also emphasized that the Israeli policies, which include the expanding of colonies and displacing the Palestinian people by force, along with its ongoing offensive on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, are illegal acts that hinder efforts to prevent further escalation in the region and to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement based on international legitimacy resolutions.
It added that the International Community must act to compel Israel to halt all of its unilateral measures and to adhere to international legitimacy resolutions, especially during this critical period.
The Ministry reiterated Qatar’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and the resilience of the Palestinian people, in line with international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution, which includes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
It is worth mentioning that the European Union, Egypt, and various countries around the world have also condemned the Israeli decision to “legalize” five colonialist outposts on stolen Palestinian lands in the West Bank.
The EU said the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to legalize the outposts is another “deliberate attempt to undermine peace efforts.”
The spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said in a press statement that EU leaders denounced the Israeli decision to expand illegal colonies in the West Bank, and urged Israel to reverse them immediately.
The WAFA News Agency said, “The European Union reiterated its adherence to its common position and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, affirming that it will not recognize any changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed upon by both parties.”
It added that the European Union reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to a permanent and sustainable peace based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions and stressed the two-state solution as the basis for resolving the conflict.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
