Israelis must stop illegal settlements: Egypt FM

Israelis must stop illegal settlements: Egypt FM
Tue Jun 11, 2013 21:56:08

Egypt has called on the Israeli regime to halt all its illegal settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and withdraw the settlers from the Palestinian lands.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said on Tuesday that “Israel must end its policy toward Palestine.”

Kamel Amr went on to say that Cairo tries to restore and protect Palestinian rights.

On May 27, Israeli daily Haaretz said Tel Aviv confiscated 1,977 acres of the Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank for its settlement activity during 2012.

The Israeli regime increased its settlement activities after an upgrade in the Palestinian status at the United Nations General Assembly on November 29, 2012. The 193-member General Assembly voted 138-9 with 41 abstentions to upgrade Palestine’s status to non-member observer state.

On January 29, Tel Aviv refused to attend a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) review session in Geneva to examine the Israeli regime’s violations of the rights of Palestinians.

In December 2012, Palestinians threatened to take Israel to the International Criminal Court over its latest decision to build more settler units in the occupied territories.

The Israeli settlements are considered illegal by much of the international community. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the settlement construction is part of Tel Aviv’s policy and will not stop.

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