Amman, August 15 (Petra) – The Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Saturday condemned the ongoing Israeli escalation against the rights of the Palestinians and "acts of genocide" perpetrated by successive Israeli governments in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.

In a statement, the committee denounced the siege and harassment of residents of the Palestinian town of Qusra in the Nablus district.

The committee condemned steps aimed at paving the way for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, including the transfer of security responsibilities in Israeli settlements from the army to the police.

It said that the Israeli violations and transferring security responsibilities in Israeli settlements to the police eliminate prospects for a future peace agreement with Israel.

The committee warned that the continued expansion of Israeli settlement activity, coupled with the silence of major world powers over the need to restrain Israel, would further destabilise the region and undermine prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state.

It called on the United States to uphold its commitments to halt settlement activity, end "massacres" in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and preserve the existing status quo in occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites in line with relevant international resolutions.

The committee called on journalists' unions across Arab countries to support Jordan's efforts to expose Israeli violations and to stand with Palestinians in their steadfastness on their land until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

//Petra// AK