Ramallah: Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Saturday that all Israeli settlement activity is illegal and violates international law and international legitimacy resolutions. His comments were in response to remarks by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Abu Rudeineh was reacting to Huckabee's assertion that there was no need for any response to Israel's decision to allow the establishment of 19 settlements, as he claimed this does not equate to annexation or a declaration of sovereignty.
Abu Rudeineh emphasized that the US ambassador's pro-settlement remarks are rejected and condemned, pointing out that they contradict the international consensus represented by UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which clearly deems all settlement activity illegal. He noted that no party is authorized to legitimize the occupation or its policies.
He urged the US administration to adhere to international law and international legitimacy resolutions if it is genuinely concerned with halting violence and escalation and achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Abu Rudeineh concluded by emphasizing that recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people is the only path to peace and security for all.