RAMALLAH / CAIRO / BLED, Slovenia - The Palestinian Presidency said on Monday that attempts to annex the West Bank and impose Israeli sovereignty are illegitimate.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the presidency spokesperson, said in a press statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that the Israeli attempts are "a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions."
Abu Rudeineh added that the Israeli government seeks to undermine "efforts to stop the war against our people in the Gaza Strip and the attacks in the West Bank, and to end any opportunity to achieve a two-state solution."
Abu Rudeineh called on the international community "to take practical and serious steps to prevent Israel from implementing its plans, recognize the State of Palestine, and implement UN resolutions that support our people's inherent right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."
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He also affirmed that "Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and that the occupation and colonial settlements are illegal and must be ended in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice."
The Palestinian presidential spokesperson called on the US administration not to "encourage the occupation to continue these dangerous and irresponsible actions."
Israel's state-owned Kan TV News has reported that Israel is considering annexing the West Bank to Israeli sovereignty in response to the intention of several European countries to recognize the State of Palestine.
Egypt condemns Israel's continued offensives
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned the ongoing Israeli military offensives in Gaza as a persistent violation of international humanitarian law.
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Israel's "military expansion" contradicts intensive global mediation efforts, including the joint effort by Egypt and Qatar to halt the war through a new ceasefire proposal, and reflects a complete absence of Israeli will to end the Gaza war, de-escalate regional tensions, and restore calm and peace, the ministry said in a statement.
Israel retreats from the peace process based on the two-state solution, which is supported by the international community, the ministry said, adding that the Israeli policies of starvation and siege against defenseless civilians in Gaza threaten to multiply the catastrophic humanitarian consequences in the enclave.
On Aug 8, Israel announced that its Security Cabinet had approved a plan to take over Gaza City, which immediately drew condemnation both domestically and internationally.
On Friday, the Israeli military said it had begun the preliminary operations and initial stages of the attack on Gaza City, and is operating with great intensity on the outskirts of the city.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the daily 10-hour humanitarian pause in the city is canceled, adding that the city now constitutes a "dangerous combat zone."
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Since Oct 7, 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 63,557 people and injured 160,660 others, Gaza-based health authorities said Monday, adding that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza have caused 348 deaths, including 127 children.
EU, Slovenian leaders call for ceasefire
European Council President Antonio Costa, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar and Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon on Monday urged peace in Gaza during the Bled Strategic Forum, Slovenia's most prominent foreign policy gathering.
Fajon, who opened the two-day forum in the Alpine resort of Bled, said that a ceasefire in Gaza is "urgent," stressing that hostages must be released and humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow.
Costa underlined that while Israel has the right to self-defense, this cannot justify "the indiscriminate destruction of civilian infrastructure, or the collective punishment of an entire population." He called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, a halt to illegal settlement activity and renewed international commitment to a two-state solution.
Musar noted that "through dealings with Gaza we reveal who we are... our handling of Gaza reflects the understanding of our humanity."
Fajon said the situation in Gaza was "beyond imagination every single day" because of "relentless bombings and deliberate starvation," reiterating that peace demands justice and that "a viable two-state solution is the only way forward."
Slovenia recognized the State of Palestine in June 2024 and currently serves as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Several dozen protesters also gathered in Bled, accusing Europe of complicity in the conflict. Some rowed onto Lake Bled, unfurling a banner showing EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, who attended the forum, shaking bloodied hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The forum will continue on Tuesday with panel discussions on new global partnerships.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Bled Strategic Forum, held under the theme "A Runaway World." Launched in 2006, the Forum is jointly organized by Slovenia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Centre for European Perspective. Over two decades, it has developed into the country's leading platform for dialogue on international and security issues, bringing together heads of state, government leaders, diplomats, scholars and business representatives to debate Europe's role in a rapidly changing global order.
