Cairo, Feb 9 (Petra) – Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi on Monday strongly condemned Israel's decisions to expand its powers in the occupied West Bank as an illegal measure aimed at imposing a new colonial reality.

The decisions, he said, are "a blatant escalation of aggression and a flagrant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions." "These are a clear attempt to alter the legal and historical status of the occupied Palestinian territories through settlement expansion, land theft, and the imposition of sovereignty by force, in a flagrant defiance of the will of the international community," said Al-Yamani.

He reiterated that the occupation authority has no sovereignty over any part of Palestinian land, and that the Israeli government's approval of land grabs is "a full-fledged war crime that necessitates international accountability without double standards." The head of the Arab Parliament called on states and international organizations, foremost among them is the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to "shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities by rejecting and condemning these colonial decisions and launching an urgent international criminal investigation into the occupation leaders implicated in such crimes." He warned that the continuation of such measures undermines regional security and stability and eliminates any prospect for achieving peace.

Al-Yamahi said the Arab Parliament will continue its political and parliamentary efforts at the regional and international levels in defense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and in rejection of any attempts to legitimize the occupation or impose facts on the ground by force.

//Petra//SS