RAMALLAH, August 11, 2016 (WAFA) – Executive Committee Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hanan Ashrawi, on Thursday strongly condemned Israel‘s escalation of its illegal and inhumane measures in and around Jerusalem and in Area C.
She said: "Israel has gone too far with its persistent violations and its blatant disregard of international law. With its systematic efforts to steal more Palestinian land and demolish and ethnically cleanse entire Palestinian villages and communities … Israel has clearly demonstrated its blatant intent of destroying the two-state solution and superimposing "Greater Israel" on all of historic Palestine.”
In the past two days, Israel demolished multiple residences and structures, including EU-funded Palestinian homes, in Sebastia, Umm al-Kheir, Umm al-Hiran, and the Jericho villages of al-Jiftlik and Fasayil. The Israeli government also has expressed its intentions of destroying the villages of Susiya and Umm al-Hiran near Hebron.
Israel also recently announced plans to construct 2,500 units in the illegal settlement of Gilo and to build 5 new police stations in and around the heart of Occupied Jerusalem in Ras al-Amud, Jabal Mukaber, Silwan, al-Issawiya, and Sur Baher. “
Israel is illegally and unjustly transforming Jerusalem into an exclusively Jewish area and attempting to rid the occupied city of its Palestinian culture, history and narrative,” Ashrawi remarked.
She concluded, "Once again, the enormity and comprehensive nature of such existing violations are not only alarming, but they send a strong message to the international community that it needs to intervene immediately.
Ashrawi called on all members of the international community to “undertake concrete measures and hold Israel accountable for its violations of Palestinian rights, lands and resources.”
“Rather than rewarding Israel and providing it with legal, political and economic cover by means of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the European Neighborhood Policy and the Horizon 2020 Association Agreement, as well as the increase in the American military aid package amounting to almost $40 billion dollars, respectively, both the European Union and the United States should end their preferential treatment of Israel and adopt serious steps to ensure Israeli compliance with their own laws, as well as with international law and international humanitarian law.”
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