Amman, Feb. 18 (Petra) - The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) expressed deep concern over the decision by Israeli occupation authorities to classify land in the occupied West Bank as "state land," noting that the move reduces administrative barriers to land appropriation and accelerates the expansion of Israeli settlements.

ITUC Secretary-General Luc Triangle said in a statement published on the union’s official website that there can be no talk of peace while international law is ignored and previous agreements are systematically neglected, calling for the decision to be immediately reversed.

He added that the decision "pushes us further away from a two-state solution and deepens the daily injustice faced by Palestinian workers and their communities," undermining prospects for a peaceful settlement based on shared security.

The ITUC emphasized that it "stands in solidarity with Palestinian workers and their unions in their struggle for dignity, equality, and justice." Triangle noted that the unilateral decision constitutes a violation of international law, breaches agreements concluded between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, and reinforces restrictions on movement and the blockade in the West Bank.

The union stressed the need for full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) concerning the 1967 borders and ending the occupation. It warned that the reclassification of current land undermines agreements established since 1993, including the Oslo Accords and the 1997 Hebron Protocol, which set clear frameworks for land administration and civil authorities.

//Petra// AF