Ben-Gvir ignores Int'l. concern, seeks more West Bank settlements

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Feb 2023 22:52
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Israeli Police Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir insists on domicide in the West Bank despite global dismay.

A view of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Eli, occupied Palestine, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 (AP Photo)

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli Police Minister declared, on Tuesday, that "Nine settlements is great, but it is still not enough."

Ben-Gvir demanded "many more" settlements and disregarded the international calls to halt the domicide of Palestinians.

It is worth noting that earlier, on Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that independent UN experts have called on the international community to stop the systematic destruction of Palestinian buildings, otherwise known as domicide, across the West Bank.

"The international community must take action to stop systematic and deliberate housing demolition and sealing, arbitrary displacement and forced evictions of Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank," the statement read.

The OHCHR also noted that "Israel" has already increased the destruction rate by 135% relative to last year, as it demolished 132 Palestinian buildings, including homes, across 38 neighborhoods in the West Bank.

"The systematic demolition of Palestinian homes, erection of illegal Israeli settlements and systematic denial of building permits for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank amounts to 'domicide'," the statement read.

Alongside the UN experts' statements, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has publicly condemned the Israeli decision to "legalize" the nine new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Also, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said, "We are deeply troubled by Israel's decision yesterday to advance reportedly nearly 10,000 settlement units and to begin a process to retroactively legalize nine outposts in the West Bank that were previously illegal under Israeli law."