Palestine slams Israeli conference on Gaza settlement reinstatement

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Palestine condemned on Sunday an Israeli meeting held in Jerusalem to discuss the return of settlements to the Gaza Strip, stating that it reflects the leanings of the Israeli right to destabilize the region.

"The colonial meeting in Jerusalem poses a blatant challenge to the International Court of Justice decision, accompanied by public incitement to forcibly displace Palestinians," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement also condemned the slogans put forward in the meeting by extremist ministers, settlers, and their leaders, such as: "Peace comes only through transfer."

"The Israeli government bears full responsibility for such inflammatory calls, which Jewish extremists consider as directives to wreak havoc against the Palestinian people," it added.

It also urged the international community "to exert pressure on Netanyahu to halt these provocative practices and impose deterrent sanctions on settlers, their leaders, and those politically supporting them."

Earlier on Sunday, the Jewish Power party held its Victory Conference to promote the return of settlements to the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank, in response to the Oct. 7 attacks. according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The UN considers Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian territories illegal and has repeatedly called on Israel to cease it, to no avail, warning that these acts undermine resolving the conflict based on the two-state solution.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Ankara