EU shows support for Palestinian Authority following latest Israeli seizure of West Bank territory

4 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has shown his support for the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday after Israel approved five new settlements and the confiscation of 12.7 square kilometers of territory in the West Bank.

“The European Union condemns the planned legalisation of five Israeli settlement outposts and the announcement of the construction of thousands of new homes in the occupied West Bank. The EU also strongly condemns the continued policies of dispossession pursued in the occupied West Bank by the current Israeli government. Ongoing efforts to establish settlements on the ground and which risk leading to de facto annexation must cease,” the EU Office said in a statement.

In this regard, he recalled that EU leaders support the Palestinian Authority against this type of action that “weakens” it, which also constitutes a “serious violation of international law” and “undermines efforts” to achieve lasting peace through the two-state solution.

“We call on Israel to reverse these decisions. In line with its long-standing common position and UN Security Council resolutions, the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties,” he added.

Borrell also “took note” of the latest transfer made by Israel to the Palestinian Authority of 435 million shekels (107 million euros), which are part of the revenues retained and collected on behalf of the Palestinian Government.

Based on this, he recalled that these transfers must be made “in due time”, in “full” and “without undue deductions”, in reference to the decision of the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to retain the last three months of withheld income and extend the exemption to Israeli banks working with the Palestinian side for four more months.

The Israeli authorities collect these funds on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and transfer them on a monthly basis, after deducting the costs of services such as electricity and water. In recent years, these payments have been frozen on several occasions in the face of tensions in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.