FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The Embassy of Palestine in Cyprus has strongly condemned what it described as a “provocative incursion” by Israel’s Finance Minister and the head of the West Bank Settlements Council, who visited the Tarsala area south of Jenin along with a group of settlers.
In a statement, the embassy said the visit aimed to reestablish settlements on land that had been evacuated for over 20 years, calling the move a deliberate effort to expand Israeli control over Palestinian territory.
“We view this action as a blatant exploitation of Palestinian land to further the expansion of Israeli settlements,” the statement read.
The embassy also expressed concern over what it called a growing pattern of incursions by Israeli officials into the occupied West Bank, including a recent meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister and the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives held in a settlement.
It described the gesture as “a sign of Israeli arrogance and a continued push toward annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” warning that such actions threaten the viability of a two-state solution.
The statement concluded by criticizing the international community’s silence, which it said “emboldens the Israeli occupation to continue its illegal actions.” The embassy called on governments and global institutions to assume their legal and political responsibilities and pressure Israel to halt what it described as “criminal acts against the Palestinian people.”