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President Mahmoud Abbas declares end to “agreements and understandings” signed with Israel and US, and turns over responsibility of occupied territories back to Israel, in response to Israel’s plan to annex parts of occupied West Bank.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended “all agreements” including security coordination with Israel and the United States on Tuesday, in response to Israel’s plans to annex parts of occupied West Bank, which he said would ruin chances for peace in Mideast.
Abbas said the Palestinian government was “absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the obligations based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones.”
“The Israeli occupation authority, as of today, has to shoulder all responsibilities and obligations in front of the international community as an occupying power over the territory of the occupied state of Palestine, with all its consequences and repercussions based on international law and international humanitarian law,” Abbas said.
Speaking after a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, the 85-year-old leader said Israeli annexation of any parts of the occupied West Bank would ruin chances for a two-state solution.
Turkey’s presidential spokesman also condemned Israel’s plans to annex the West Bank and called on the international community on Wednesday to take a stand.
“We reject Israel’s plan to annex the West Bank and call for the world to take a stand against it. Occupation and annexation is a crime,” Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter.
Kalin said Turkey will support all steps to be taken against the occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.
Previous threats
Abbas has made multiple previous threats to end security cooperation with Israel without ultimately following through.
He did not give any details about what his latest declaration would mean in practice. Analysts say coordination between Israeli and Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank is crucial to Israel as it seeks to prevent Hamas gaining a foothold in the West Bank but also benefits the Palestinian government, which is dominated by Abbas’s Fatah party, a longtime rival of Hamas.
Part of Netanyahu’s campaign
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday swore in a new unity government with former rival Benny Gantz. Under the coalition agreement from July, the government can discuss annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
Right-winger Netanyahu campaigned in a March election on annexing both the Jordan Valley, a key strategic area in the occupied West Bank, as well as settlements dotted throughout the territory.
Abbas last week said any annexation would lead them to rip up all agreements.
