July 2, 2024
Jakarta – Indonesia on Monday “strongly condemned” Israel’s recent plan to legalize five Jewish settlements in the West Bank, reiterating that the two-state solution must be implemented and that Jakarta would “demand” accountability from Tel Aviv through its diplomacy.
“Israel’s colonization and continued occupation of Palestinian territory constitute violations of international law and relevant norms. [United Nations] “The resolutions are underway,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The international community has strongly condemned Tel Aviv since it announced last week that it would legalize five controversial Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank: Evyatar, Givat Assaf, Sde Efraim, Heletz and Adorayin.
Parts of the West Bank are partly governed by the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority, while Gaza is ruled by the militant group Hamas, which has been at war with Israel for nearly eight months, since October 7, 2023.
Despite the distinction, Israeli officials have said they will take punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its role in fighting Tel Aviv on the international stage.
International support for the Palestinian cause has grown since October 7, when a surprise attack by Hamas triggered a massive response from Tel Aviv. As the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, more countries are beginning to recognize the Palestinian state, while Israel finds itself increasingly isolated and faces accusations of genocide and other gross human rights violations.
The Palestinian Authority has played a key role in promoting the Palestinian cause on the international stage, including applying in April for UN membership to grant the state international voting rights.
Indonesia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has repeatedly expressed support for the Fatah-controlled governing body, saying the Palestinian Authority must be strengthened and supported in its reform to pave the way for lasting peace.
Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Authority-affiliated Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said the settlements were “illegal settlements that violate all international resolutions,” Reuters reported.
“The decisions of the occupation government aim to continue the war of genocide against our Palestinian people,” he told Reuters.
He said the PLO and the Palestinian Authority would continue to press for Israel to be brought before international courts and punished for “crimes against our people, particularly in the Gaza Strip.”
Many countries have also denounced the settlement plans, including Jordan, which shares a long border with the West Bank.
“[Jordan] “The Jordanian Foreign Ministry stressed the need for Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with the rules of international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy, and to put an end to its colonization projects aimed at changing the existing historical and legal situation in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The European Union said it “condemned in the strongest terms” the plan, adding that it was “another deliberate attempt to undermine peace efforts.”
“The EU stresses that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must cease,” it said in a statement on Saturday.
Israel carried out a strike in the West Bank on Sunday, killing a man identified by a militant group as one of its commanders, AFP reported. Five other Palestinians were wounded, Palestinian officials said.
Although Gaza is the main battleground in the war between Israel and Hamas, the West Bank reportedly saw a surge in violence before the October 7 attack, with reports of Israeli military raids and settler attacks indicating the highest escalations in two decades.
The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967, and a 2023 report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said some 700,000 Israeli settlers live illegally in the enclave.
