Hezbollah blasts Israel over settlements

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has criticized Arab states for taking no step towards reviving Palestinians’ rights and only relying on the US to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinians conflict.

Strongly condemning the resumption of construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Lebanese resistance movement said in a statement on Wednesday that what is happening in the occupied Palestinian lands is the result of Arab leaders’ silence.

Touching on the new round of negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Tel Aviv under the US mediation, the Islamic movement also criticized Arab states for relying on Washington policies which are ‘in conformity with Israeli plots’, to protect the violated rights of Palestinians.

Hezbollah described the expansion of Jewish settlements on the occupied Palestinian lands as a “violation of international laws” and “stealing of Arab territories.”

Tel Aviv started its illegal construction work in the West Bank on Monday, hours after the expiry of a partial freeze on settlement constructions despite worldwide calls for the expansion and the extension of the 10-month settlement-slowdown.

The Palestinian Authority had repeatedly threatened to leave the US-sponsored direct talks with Tel Aviv if Israel resumes settlement construction. Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas is expected to respond to the decision after a meeting of Arab leaders in Egypt next Monday.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment at Israel’s decision as not to extend the partial freeze, calling it a “provocative” action.

The settlement construction on the occupied Palestinian lands is in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 446, 452 and 465.