KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Construction in the strategic E1 settlement area east of Jerusalem would physically divide the West Bank and gravely undermine the prospect of a contiguous, viable Palestinian homeland, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim warned today.
In a statement published on his social media platforms, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s recent decision to issue official construction tenders for the contested E1 settlement project.
“This tract of land east of Jerusalem has long been critical to the viability of a Palestinian state,” Anwar said.
Emphasizing international legal consensus, the Prime Minister reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, yet Israel continues to operate with complete impunity.
“Coming amid unprecedented settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, this decision shows that the Israeli regime has abandoned even the pretence of seeking peace or respecting the will of the international community,” he stated.
Anwar reiterated Malaysia’s unyielding diplomatic stance and solid support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state based on pre-1967 borders.
He further warned that Putrajaya will closely monitor the situation and take careful note of any international corporate entities or multinational firms that choose to participate in the illegal E1 settlement tenders, adding that Malaysia will act accordingly against participating companies.
The Prime Minister’s sharp rebuke follows reports from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who expressed grave alarm over the expansion of illegal Israeli settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank and called for an immediate cessation of further construction.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric previously noted that expanding the E1 settlement corridor would effectively sever connections between the northern and southern sectors of the West Bank, inflicting severe damage on the territorial integrity of occupied Palestinian lands and posing an existential threat to the two-state solution.
–NMT
More Stories
Trump Orders Pentagon to ‘Substantially’ Scale Back US-South Korea Military Exercises
WHO Warns DRC Ebola Outbreak Outstrips Response Capacity, Urges Immediate Funding
White House to Hold AI Safety Summit With Tech Giants Following Security Incidents