GCC, Arab Parliament Welcome UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

GCC, Arab Parliament Welcome UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation
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GCC, Arab Parliament Welcome UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

GCC, Arab Parliament Welcome UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi welcomed the UN General Assembly's adoption of a resolution on ending the unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which was passed by an overwhelming majority during the emergency special session.
Albudaiwi said: "The actions taken by Israeli occupation forces, including settlement expansion and geographic alterations, are illegitimate and unlawful, receiving no recognition at either the regional or international level."

According to SPA, he also emphasized the need for the international community to uphold its responsibilities in implementing this resolution, stressing that the occupied Palestinian territories remain an integral part of the Palestinian people's inalienable rights.
The secretary-general reiterated the GCC's unwavering stance on the Palestinian issue, supporting the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and advocating for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to statehood.

Earlier, the Arab Parliament also praised the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
In a statement, the parliament hailed the resolution's passage with a majority vote of 124 as a victory for Palestinian rights and the justness of their cause, thanking the countries that backed the resolution.
The parliament emphasized that this resolution is a move towards justice for Palestinians, urging the international community and the Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities by pressuring Israel to comply with the resolution, cease the occupation, and enforce previous international resolutions that Israel has disregarded, going against international legitimacy.
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Palestinian-drafted resolution that demands Israel end "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within 12 months.

 



Israel Drafts Plan to Annex West Bank Settlements

An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
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Israel Drafts Plan to Annex West Bank Settlements

An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed calls from his ministers to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank next year after US President Donald Trump takes office.

In recent private talks, Netanyahu said the issue of sovereignty in the West Bank should return to the agenda once Trump is in the White House, according to public broadcaster Kan.

This aligns Netanyahu with coalition members already pushing for such a move next year.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the National Religious Party - Zionism Party and holds a position within Israel’s Defense Ministry where he oversees the administration of the occupied West Bank and its settlements, said Monday that a Trump win would create a “key opportunity” for Israel to impose sovereignty.

“We were close to applying sovereignty to settlements in Judea and Samaria during Trump’s last term, and now it’s time to make it happen,” he said.

“2025: the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich wrote on X, using the biblical name by which Israel refers to the occupied West Bank.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also welcomed Donald Trump’s victory, saying, “This is the time for sovereignty.”

Trump’s win has encouraged Israeli right-wing leaders to push for annexing and expanding West Bank settlements.

The plan to extend sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements dates back to 2020, when Netanyahu sought Trump’s approval to move forward.

Kan reported that annexation plans are ready to be implemented.

In 2020, as part of Trump’s “Deal of the Century,” Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin’s team, working with US officials, prepared maps, regulations, and a draft government resolution, Kan said.

The plan includes access roads and potential expansion zones for each settlement.

The West Bank is home to around 144 official settlements and over 100 unofficial outposts, covering approximately 42% of the territory, including their jurisdictions. These areas house about 600,000 Israeli settlers.