Israel exploiting regional crises to expand illegal settlements in West Bank: Palestinian foreign minister

Israel is exploiting regional crises to intensify illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, the top Palestinian diplomat has said, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Anadolu reports. Speaking during a briefing to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State of Palestine on Tuesday, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin warned that Israel is accelerating policies aimed at expanding illegal settlements and imposing permanent control over Palestinian land. She said Israeli authorities are taking advantage of the international community’s focus on regional crises to advance annexation efforts through settlement expansion and legislative and administrative measures. Shahin said such policies undermine the two-state solution and threaten the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. The minister added that illegal Israeli settlers […]