Amnesty International demanded to stop the Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, calling the Israeli step “unlawful”.

“The Israeli authorities must immediately abandon plans to further annex parts of the occupied West Bank to Israel which violates international laws and exacerbate decades of systematic human rights violations against Palestinians there”, Amnesty International said.

The International human rights watchdog also called on the international community to stand against the annexation plan and illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

“International law is crystal clear on this matter, so annexation is unfair”, Saleh Higazi, deputy regional director for Amnesty Middle East and North Africa pointed out. “Israel’s continued pursuit of this policy further illustrates its cynical disregard for international law. Such policies do not change the legal status of the territory under international law and its inhabitants as occupied nor remove Israel’s responsibilities as the occupying power rather it points to the ‘law of the jungle’ which should not have a place in our world today”.

The occupation state announced it will annex over 30% of the occupied West Bank, including Israeli illegal settlements and Jordan Valley, which could begin as of 1 July.

The annexation is the acquisition of territory by force, and it is considered a clear violation of international law, making the Israeli step a violation of the United Nations Charter.

The prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force is enshrined as a fundamental principle in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.

Since 1967, the occupation state has been continuously expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem and establishing new ones but Trump’s plan and the subsequent annexation aims at legalizing the occupation of what is left of historic Palestine.

Amnesty also called on governments to reject Trump’s plan and offer their full political and practical support to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it decides on its jurisdiction over the Palestinian cause.

 

Source: Quds News Network