Palestinian authorities have strongly condemned Israel's recent appropriation of land east of Jerusalem in the West Bank, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said.
"All settlements are illegal, and there can be no prospect for peace as long as these settlements persist on Palestinian land," Abu Rudeineh stated, as quoted by WAFA.
He further emphasized, "The Israeli government's persistent policy of land seizure and settlement expansion obstructs the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, particularly with East Jerusalem as its capital."
According to reports from The Jerusalem Post, Israel has annexed a 264-hectare area near the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, situated east of Jerusalem within the West Bank.
Israel's ongoing construction of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remains a significant barrier to resolving the enduring Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, which called for an immediate cessation of Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Despite international calls, Israel promptly rejected compliance with the resolution's provisions on the same day of its adoption.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS