Palestine says Trump's administration 'partnering' with Israel in territory annexation

RAMALLAH - Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization Saeb Erekat on Thursday said that the US and Israel are "partnering" in annexation plans through ongoing settlement construction.

"(Donald) Trump's administration is now partnering with Israel, through the recently formed annexation committee, with its new announcements for more construction and expansion of Israel's illegal colonial settlements on lands belonging to the state of Palestine," Erekat said in a press statement.

Erekat's condemnation came against the backdrop of Israel's newest decision to build 5,200 new settlement units in south of Jerusalem, in addition to approving a plan to build 9,000 new settlement units in north of the city.

"The ongoing Israeli settlement announcements represent the implementation of Trump's (Middle East peace) plan, which requires urgent international action to deter both Israel and the US from their continued violations of international law and order," Erekat said.

Israeli settlement activity is considered illegal under international law and has been one of the major hurdles to the stalled peace talks between Palestine and Israel since 2014.

However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in November 2019 that the US government will no longer consider Israel's West Bank settlements "inconsistent" with international law, in a move believed to further dim the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.