Pakistan Condemns Israeli Moves in West Bank

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government has strongly condemned the latest attempt by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into so-called state property, and to expand illegal settlement activities.

“Such steps are in clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and must be rejected by the international community” Foreign Office said in a statement released to the press on Monday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Israeli government has approved a proposal to begin a “settlement of land title” process for the first time since 1967.  Residents are now required to provide official documentation to prove ownership of their land.

Rights groups like Peace Now warn this could lead to a “mega land grab,” as the process is often non-transparent and difficult for Palestinians to navigate, potentially allowing Israel to claim up to 83% of Area C as “state property”. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated the move is intended to “deepen our roots” and “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.

The Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement that the occupying power’s continued disregard for international law and its provocative actions undermine the prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.

“Pakistan calls on the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law” reads Pakistan Foreign Office statement. Pakistan reaffirms full support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and for the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

New measures approved by Israel’s security cabinet allowed private Israeli citizens to purchase land directly in the West Bank. Land registries that were previously confidential are being made public, which critics say facilitates the “illegal seizure” of Palestinian property. International bodies and neighboring countries have condemned these steps as “de facto annexation”.

Israel recently advanced plans for thousands of new settlement homes, including over 2,500 units near Jerusalem. This project aims to link the Ma’ale Adumim settlement to Jerusalem, which experts say would effectively bisect the West Bank and prevent a contiguous Palestinian state. The government is moving to retroactively “legalize” dozens of previously unauthorized outposts.

Pakistan has always advocated for a separate state for Palestinian people and have always condemned Israel atrocities in  occupied lands. Recently Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has consented to participate in the Gaza Board of Peace Meeting scheduled to be held in Washington on February 19. It has also conditionally consent to send troops to Gaza for participation in the International Stabilization Force for war torn Gaza on the condition that Pakistani troops would not participate in disarming Palestinian groups.

The Gaza Board of Peace has been constituted under the mandate of the UN Security Council and it is to act as a governing body for Gaza. Besides Pakistan, seven other Muslim countries have consented to participate in the Board of Peace meeting.

However, the world is focused on providing relief to Palestinians of Gaza-a land strip devastated by two years of Israeli occupation, Israel has shown ill intentions to inflict the same kind of devastation on the West Bank–another enclave of Palestinian Muslims.