Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Friday that the new Israeli government is waging an all-out war on Palestinians, accusing it of increasing violence and illegally withholding PA funds.
“The new Israeli government is expanding the circle of its war on our land and our people. It is further robbing our money, and continues to illegally withhold billions of PA funds to exacerbate the financial crisis and affect our government's ability to fulfill its obligations,” Shtayyeh said.
The Palestinian PM was speaking during a meeting with British Minister for the Middle East Lord Tariq Ahmed at his office in Ramallah, in the presence of British Consul General in Jerusalem Diane Corner.
Shtayyeh demanded that Britain apologizes for its policies and correct them.
“This is the right moment for Britain, the orchestrator of the Balfour Declaration, to recognize the State of Palestine, in light of the political vacuum and the destructive Israeli measures for the two-state solution,” he said.
The PM also called on Britain to put pressure on Israel to abide by and respect the agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority.
Shtayyeh then accused the new Israeli government of implementing a plan of extremism and racism against Palestinians.
“We are witnessing further escalation. Eight Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids in the first two weeks of 2023,” he said, also mentioning the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the daily arrests of Palestinians.
Meanwhile in New York, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, called on Security Council members to respect and guarantee the rights of Palestinians, noting that after 75 years, Israel continues to violate those rights.
Mansour was speaking at an open debate of the UN Security Council.
The debate on “The promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security: the rule of law among nations" was chaired by Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi and included a briefing by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Mansour asked about the rule of international law when it comes to Palestine, saying that all members of the UNSC, and all UN members recognize that international law is being violated in Palestine, but fail to take action.
Mansour said the rule of law cannot coexist with impunity. “Has one Israeli official, Israeli general, Israeli soldier or Israeli settler, been held accountable?” the Ambassador asked.
On Friday, Palestinian areas in the West Bank witnessed several peaceful marches against the practices of arrest, house demolitions, and killings that are carried out by Israeli authorities.
In Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, Israeli soldiers shot a young man and caused many Palestinians to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation during a nonviolent procession organized by several factions and civil society institutions demanding the release of the bodies of Palestinians killed by the Israeli forces in previous raids.
Also, Israeli forces attacked the weekly processions against the illegal colonies in Beita and Beit Dajan, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and injured 21 Palestinians and international peace activists.
In Kufur Qaddoum town, east of Qalqilia, Israeli forces injured three Palestinians during the weekly procession, while dozens others were treated for tear gas inhalation.
