Malaysia Condemns Israel’s ‘Greater Israel’ Agenda, Settlement Expansion

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia unequivocally condemns, in the strongest terms, the latest statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, propagating the unlawful and illegal expansionist vision of a “Greater Israel”.

In statement Friday, the Foreign Minister said these planned actions constitute a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are to entrench the illegal occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The E1 project which covers area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, contravenes international law and relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions.

“Its main purpose is to fracture the West Bank, erase Palestinian sovereignty and destroy the two State solution,” the statement read.

The Ministry said Malaysia is equally outraged by the deliberate killings of journalists and media personnel in the Gaza Strip which constitute an egregious violation of international law and a flagrant breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists in conflict zones.

“These targeted attacks form part of Israeli Zionist regime’s systematic campaign to silence independent reporting, including to obstruct the flow of information such as settler violence, and conceal its ongoing genocide and war crimes committed in the OPT,” it said.

It reiterated Malaysia steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause and will continue our efforts towards the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The United Nations and the international community must act now to immediately halt these illegal attempts by the Israeli Zionist regime and to safeguard the inalienable rights, security, and freedom of the Palestinian people,” it said.

According to media reports, Netanyahu is propagating the unlawful and illegal expansionist vision of a “Greater Israel”, along with the approval for building thousands of settlement units in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim in the OPT.

-- BERNAMA