RAMALLAH, Palestine, Aug 1 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinians will never “bargain” on the UN resolutions, especially on the illegality of Israeli settlements, on occupied Palestinian territories, Palestinian President spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said, on Wednesday.
In a statement, Rudeineh said, Palestinians should be allowed to build their houses on all territories occupied by Israel since 1967, reiterating that settlement activity in those areas “is illegal and doomed to end.”
The statement was in response to a decision made by the Israeli cabinet, to allow construction of 700 housing units built for the Palestinians in Area (C), in the West Bank, in exchange for 6,000 new units built for Israeli settlements.
Israeli media reported, the plan is aimed at facilitating the mission of U.S. adviser, Jared Kushner, to persuade Arab leaders to attend a peace meeting, during his current tour of the Middle East.
Under the Oslo Agreement, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Israeli government in 1993, the West Bank was divided into three areas, namely Area (A), under Palestinian control, Area (B), under joint Palestinian-Israeli control and Area (C), under full Israeli control.
Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ishtaye issued a statement saying, “construction in Area (C) is a right for the Palestinians, and it cannot be bargained over the settlement activities.”
“We don’t need permission from the occupying power, to build our homes on our lands. This decision aims at deceiving international public opinion, legalising settlement activity and attempting to equate Palestinian construction on its own land, with the colonial settlement construction,” he added.– NNN-WAFA
