The Arab League condemned on Saturday the escalation in Israeli occupation crimes in the city of Hebron and across the West Bank, calling for an end to Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic and geographical character of Palestinian lands.
The League, in a statement published on the X platform, noted that Israeli threats to evacuate and destroy Palestinian neighborhoods, the forced displacement of residents, attacks on civilians and their property and holy sites, and the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque, are part of policies targeting the alteration of the demographic and geographical reality in the occupied territories.
Violations of International Law
The League affirmed that these practices constitute serious violations of the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forced transfer of populations, collective punishments, and the destruction of property in occupied territories. It clarified that implementing threats to evacuate neighborhoods and destroy them may, depending on the nature of the acts and the circumstances of their commission, amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Interference with Freedom of Worship
The Arab League stressed that closing the Ibrahimi Mosque and hindering worshippers’ access to it constitutes an interference with freedom of worship and religious sanctuaries. It called on the international community to take urgent measures to halt these violations, hold those responsible for the crimes accountable, and put an end to impunity.
Foundation for Just Peace
The League reiterated that Hebron and the rest of the occupied West Bank are an inseparable part of Palestinian land, and that Israeli measures aimed at altering their demographic and geographical character do not create rights nor confer legitimacy. It emphasized that ending the occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, constitute the foundation for achieving just and lasting peace.
Earlier today, the Palestinian government called on the international community to intervene urgently to stop Israeli occupation violations, warning of escalating attacks in the West Bank, particularly collective punishment measures, displacement, and house demolitions in the Hebron governorate.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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