Istanbul (Turkiye News Desk): Turkey has strongly condemned the decision to approve new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a threat to efforts toward a two-state solution.
According to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuously taking steps that weaken the foundations of a two-state solution. The statement added that land confiscation in occupied territories and encouragement of settler violence are further worsening the situation.
Turkey rejected the approval of new settlements and urged the international community to take an effective role in addressing the issue.
The statement said that Israel’s policies of occupation and expansion must not be allowed to escalate tensions in the region or alter facts on the ground. Turkey stressed that the international community must fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The statement came after Israel’s Higher Planning Council approved the construction of more than 2,000 new housing units in various illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Under the plan, more than 1,000 units will be built in the Gevaot settlement south of Bethlehem, over 900 units in Har Bracha south of Nablus, and additional units in Kiryat Arba, which is located on land near Hebron.
According to Palestinian sources, these projects are part of Israel’s policy to expand settlements, seize Palestinian land, and change facts on the ground in the occupied territories.
