Israel Seeking To Cancel Oslo Accords Amid Worsening Gaza Crisis
KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) -- Israel is reportedly seeking to scrap several key agreements with Palestine, including the Oslo Accords, against a backdrop of a worsening situation in Gaza and the West Bank brought about by military strikes and humanitarian aid blockades.
According to a weekly situation report released by the Government Communication Centre of the Palestinian Prime Minister's Office, a member of the extreme far-right “Otzma Yehudit / Jewish Power” party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir has proposed an Israeli legislation to revoke the Oslo Accords, Hebron Protocol, and Wye River Memorandum.
The report said, citing a draft of the bill, that all agreements signed between Israel, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will be fully repealed and will no longer be binding on the state (Israel) or any entity acting on its behalf.
The report further explains that the proposal also includes a repeal of laws enacted to implement the Oslo framework and a restoration of the legal and administrative status that had existed before the agreements were signed.
The bill was scheduled for debate before the Knesset Ministerial Committee for Legislation, before the Israeli prime minister reportedly requested for its delay.
Under the Oslo Accords signed in 1995 between Israel and the Palestinian authority, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into Areas A, B, and C, with the administration and security of Area C remaining under Israeli control until a final agreement is reached with Palestine, according to an Anadolu Ajansi report.
In a related development, the report said Israel's relentless assault on Gaza has continued to adversely affect women, in particular pregnant women, mothers of small children, and patients of chronic diseases including cancer patients.
According to the report, the mortality rate of mothers in Gaza has surged threefold during the genocide, while famine and malnutrition brought about by Israel's actions have particularly affected pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Moreover, medical and food supplies continue to dwindle in Gaza. Medical sources are reporting that thalassemia patients in Gaza face a life-threatening situation due to a shortage of medication and blood supply, in addition to destruction of health services and treatment centres.
The report also said a serious shortage of bread supply and a surge in prices of flour all over Gaza have forced displaced Palestinians to wait in long lines outside the remaining bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).
Now entering day 213 of the October ceasefire, Israel has killed 854 Palestinians, bringing the total number of casualties in the Gaza Strip to 72,740, including at least 21,283 children and 172,555 others injured since Oct 7, 2023.
In the West Bank, 1,160 people including 242 children have been reportedly killed, 12,245 injured, and more than 9,600 arrested.
-- BERNAMA
