This picture shows houses in the Israeli settlement of Psagot in the occupied West Bank, located on Tawil hill adjacent to the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and al-Bireh. AFP
In a statement issued by the foreign ministry, Egypt emphasised that in its quest for a just and lasting peace, the international community rejects this decision.
Israel, which insists on ignoring global criticism and its already taxed relations with the international community due to the war in Gaza, announced the decision on Thursday. The decision marks the most significant expansion of settlements in decades in the occupied West Bank.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry underscored that the move blatantly violates international legitimacy resolutions, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
The Geneva Convention and the UNSC resolution assert that Israeli actions lack any legal basis and prohibit an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into occupied territories.
The foreign ministry also noted that the Israeli decision contradicts the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Issued in July 2024, the ICJ opinion stated that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, is unlawful.
Egypt has constantly reiterated that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people and an irreversible international demand.
Moreover, the foreign ministry warned in its statement that such settlements pose a major obstacle to a two-state solution and undermine prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.
Short link: