NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, on Wednesday condemned recent decisions by Israel’s Security Cabinet to expand the expropriation of land in the occupied West Bank.
He described the moves as a step toward unlawful annexation, and a violation of the right of Palestinians to self-determination.
The measures, approved on Sunday, expand Israeli civilian authority in parts of the West Bank, known as “Areas A and B” under the Oslo Accords, in which certain powers are currently exercised by the Palestinian Authority.
“This is yet another step by the Israeli authorities toward rendering a viable Palestinian state impossible, in violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” Turk said.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, the package of measures alter existing legal arrangements to allow Israeli authorities and individuals to acquire land in those areas, a move Turk said violates the laws of occupation.
