Palestine National Council (PNC) called on the International Criminal Court to expedite taking the necessary measures to open a criminal investigation into the ongoing settlement crimes in the territories of the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.
In a statement issued by PNC Speaker Saleem Al-Za’anoon today, Friday, added that the continuation of Israel, the occupying power, to continue its colonial settlement activities in Palestine, the latest of which is the approval of building 5,000 settlement units, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy, and rises to the level of war crimes.
PNC indicated that the immediate attending to consider the settlement crime by International Criminal Court which is the only capable institution will stop this crime, in light of the lack of accountability in the UN Security Council, and the violations of its decisions on settlements, the latest is the violation of Resolution 2334, which called for a cessation of settlements, and considered all settlement activities as null and void.
The National Council called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities, implement its decisions and defend it, and hold Israel accountable for its crimes, especially the settlement crime.
PNC called for international protection for the Palestinian people from the settlers who are protected from the Israeli occupation soldiers, who escalate their terror and attacks, especially during the olive harvest season, when farmers are subjected to attacks and prevented from reaching their farms, while olive trees are exposed to the theft and burning of their crops.
PNC called on the parliamentary unions and parliaments of the world to announce their positions, condemn these Israeli settlement policies and measures, and the need to take deterrent decisions against Israel by the governments, and to take the necessary measures to ensure that the occupation state complies with international covenants and decisions.
PNC also condemned the decision of the Israeli occupation government not to allow employees of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to return to the occupied Palestinian territories, to carry out their duties to monitor and follow up the violations and crimes committed by the occupation authorities against the Palestinian people.