Muslim World League condemns Israel’s E1 settlement plan in West Bank

GAZA, Aug 22: The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned Israel’s illegal E1 settlement plan in the occupied West Bank, warning that it threatens the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The condemnation comes after Israel opened tenders for the construction of 1,234 settlement homes in E1, part of a wider plan to create a continuous Israeli settlement corridor between occupied East Jerusalem and the illegal Ma’aleAdumim settlement.

The NGO described E1 as a “dangerous plan” and condemned “all illegal Israeli settlement policies” in the occupied Palestinian territory, saying such actions violate international law and UN resolutions and “undermine all peace efforts”.

It called on the international community to ensure an immediate end to settlement policies and other measures aimed at “altering the geographical and demographic character” of the occupied Palestinian territory.

The organisation also reiterated its support for Palestinians’ right to establish an “independent and sovereign Palestinian state” under a two-state solution, which it described as the “only path” towards a just and lasting regional peace.

Israel has opened tenders for the construction of 1,234 Israeli homes in the occupied West Bank, advancing a major illegal settlement expansion which rights groups say will, in effect, sever Palestinian territory in two.

The move is part of Israel’s plan to create the so-called “E1” area on a stretch of Palestinian land, ultimately creating a continuous Israeli settlement “corridor” between occupied East Jerusalem and the large settlement of Ma’aleAdumim, 7km (4.5 miles) east of Jerusalem. This would further disrupt Palestinian movement between the northern and southern West Bank, and isolate communities on each side. It is illegal under international law.

The United Nations Human Rights Office has previously described the E1 project as a “grave and unlawful step to consolidate annexation”, while the UN secretary-general has said settlement construction there violates international law and runs directly counter to UN resolutions.

The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory says the latest killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza may be war crimes, highlighting the ongoing attacks on the enclave’s police.

“These incidents are a stark reminder that, despite occasional drops in the number of reported attacks, civilians throughout Gaza remain exposed to persistent, unpredictable, lethal harm,” it said in a statement on Friday.

The UN office also called the “pattern” of attacks on police personnel and facilities in Gaza “alarming”, including an attack on Gaza City’s municipal police headquarters on Wednesday that killed eight officers and a 13-year-old girl.

Under international humanitarian law, it says, police are protected civilians, unless they are actively and directly participating in hostilities.

“It is hard to see any ‘military necessity’ of Israel’s ongoing attacks across a decimated landscape, which continue to kill and maim civilians, including children and police personnel,” the statement quotes AjithSunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in Palestine, as saying.

“The right to life is the foundational right for all. But it seems in Gaza, there is no respect left for human rights as death, injury and destruction continue day after day,” he added.�"AL JAZEERA