Jerusalem: The Muslim Council of Elders on Saturday condemned Israel's continued illegal colonial settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian Territory, categorically rejecting the approval of a tender for the construction of hundreds of settlement units under the E1 colonial plan east of occupied Jerusalem.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency, the council described the colonial plans as a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. It warned that these actions seriously undermine efforts to achieve peace in the region and threaten the territorial contiguity of the occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly between the West Bank and Jerusalem. The council emphasized that such plans jeopardize the prospects of establishing an independent, geographically contiguous, and viable Palestinian state.
The council renewed its condemnation of violations and acts of violence committed by Israeli colonists against Palestinians and their property, with the support of Israeli occupation authorities. It called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take urgent action to halt such violations and illegal colonial settlement expansion. The council also urged for the protection of the Palestinian people and the safeguarding of their inalienable rights. It emphasized the need for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, including the recognition of the Palestinian people's legitimate right to establish an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.