Egypt affirms rejection of Israeli annexation of occupied lands in West Bank, Jordanian Valley

CAIRO - 30 April 2020: Egypt affirmed its steady and unchangeable stance towards the Palestinian cause, rejecting the Israeli unilateral move of annexation of the occupied lands in the West Bank and Jordanian Valley.

In the Arab League Council online extraordinary meeting at the ministerial level, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called upon the Arab world and the international community to unite for bringing the peace and stability for the Palestinian people and the establishment of the Palestinian statehood on the border of 1967 and Eastern Jerusalem is its capital.

A unilateral action would undermine the opportunities to revive the negotiations that depend on a two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and international legitimacy and its decisions, Shoukry said in his speech at the meeting.

“Any unilateral action to annex settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley is a flagrant violation of all principles of international law, and the principles and norms that govern international relations,” he said.

Israel has exploited the crisis of coronavirus to impose its fait accompli policy which would push the region towards violence and incite terrorism and extremist ideas, he added.

Shoukry called for alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian refugees in the camps, especially in light of the financial burdens and challenges that faced the The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers announced on Thursday that the Israeli occupation government's steps to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territories represent a new "war crime."

This came at the conclusion of the extraordinary session held via video conference under the chairmanship of Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi.

The Arab foreign ministers urged the US administration to abide by the UN Charter and its resolutions related to the conflict in the Middle East, and back away from supporting schemes and maps prepared by the Israeli occupation government under the so called "US peace plan" which is aimed at annexing large parts of the occupied Palestinian territories to Israel by force.

The Arab ministers held the Israeli government and the US administration accountable for the consequences of implementing such schemes on international stability, security and peace.

The Arab countries will support, via all political, diplomatic, legal and financial tools, decisions and steps to be taken by the Palestinian state to face the Israeli plots, calling for launching serious negotiations within an identified timetable and under international sponsorship.

They urged the international community, including the UNSC, to assume their responsibility for preserving international security and peace.

They decided to keep the council in a permanent session to follow up the developments in this regard.

Additionally reporting by MENA