‘Israeli’ Settlements in West Bank, Al-Quds Illegal – UN Resolution

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations General Assembly's [UNGA] Second Committee overwhelmingly approved a draft resolution that called on nations to ensure that they do not treat settlements in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds as a part of the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity.

The resolution was passed on Wednesday by 156 votes in favor and 6 votes against by the Zionist regime, the United States, Canada, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Nauru.

Countries which abstained from the anti-‘Israel’ resolution included Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Togo, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

The document highlighted the UN Security Council Resolution 2334, endorsed in December 2016, which pronounced Zionist settlements in the West Bank and al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law,” calling on its member States to ensure that they do not participate in actions of de facto annexation of the occupied lands.

The new resolution “underscored, in this regard, the call by the Security Council, in its resolution 2334 [2016], upon all States to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between … ‘Israel’ and the territories occupied since 1967.”

It also condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s razing of Palestinian structures and recognized the Palestinians’ sovereign rights to the natural resources of the occupied West Bank and al-Quds.

It further affirmed the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and of the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land, water and energy resources.”

The Palestinians, it added, should be compensated for the ‘Israeli’ use of their natural resources.

Additionally, the resolution demanded “that ‘Israel,’ the occupying Power, cease the exploitation, damage, cause of loss or depletion and endangerment of the natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including al-Quds, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

The document also called “upon ‘Israel’ not to impede Palestinian development and export of discovered oil and natural gas reserves.”