BRUSSELS, Tuesday, October 26, 2021 (WAFA) – Premier Mohammad Shtayyeh today urged Europe to pressure Israel to respect international law and human rights.

Speaking during a meeting with European Parliament Vice President, Pedro Silva Pereira at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Premier Shtayyeh called on Europe to exert pressure on Israel to oblige it to respect international law, human rights and the signed agreements particularly with regards to allowing elections in Jerusalem.

Shtayyeh also called on Europe to pressurize Israel into handing over the bodies of those Palestinians killed by its troops.

He stressed that Israel’s policy of sabotaging the two-state solution trough the consolidation of colonial settlement construction is leading to a reality where Israel becomes an apartheid state.

He renewed his call for Europe to take a decision on banning colonial settlement products into EU markets.

The Premier expressed his appreciation of the EP’s vote in favor of offering ongoing support to the Palestinian people while noting the importance that Europe plays an effective role in the peace process and fill the political vacuum.

EP Vice President, Pedro Silva Pereira, reiterated the EP’s position that Israeli colonial settlements are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to the two-state solution while stressing EP’s support to the two-state solution and the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shtayyeh met Vice-President for EP’s Social and Democrats Group, Pedro Marquez, in addition to several heads of EP’s committees at EP headquarters in the attendance of Palestine’s ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg Abdul Rahim al-Farra.

K.F.