Gaza: Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hussein Ibrahim Taha condemned Israel's announcement of a tender for the construction of 1,234 new settlement units under the so-called E1 plan in occupied Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Taha stated that the move represents a continuation of Israeli colonial settlement, annexation, forced displacement, and the imposition of facts on the ground. This plan aims to alter the legal, political, and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory.
Taha expressed concern over the serious implications of the settlement plan, which may lead to the forced displacement of Bedouin communities, isolation of occupied Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, fragmentation of the territorial unity of the occupied Palestinian territory, and undermining of international efforts to implement the two-state solution.
He reiterated that Israeli colonial settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including UN Security Council Resolution 2334, and the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on the matter.
Taha urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities by taking immediate measures to compel Israel, as the occupying power, to adhere to its international obligations and immediately halt its systematic actions and violations against the Palestinian people, their land, and holy sites.