Palestinian presidency rejects Israel bids to “separate Gaza from West Bank”

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian presidency, stressed in a statement that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian territory under the jurisdiction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Abu Rudeineh stated the Israeli attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank will fail and will not be allowed, regardless of any pressure or threat.

He urged Israel to stop aggression against Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, calling on the United States to immediately act to halt the conflict in the enclave.

The spokesperson emphasized that security and stability in the region and the world “will only be achieved by ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders”.

Moreover, he reiterated that any international efforts would be futile as long as the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem persists.

Earlier in the day, Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a press statement that “the bitterness of failure drives the head of the occupying government into moral, humanitarian, and political blindness, leading to further killing, destruction, and displacement.”

He added that Netanyahu declared Saturday that his strategic goal in this conflict is the full occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, despite the Palestinians’ resilience to challenges.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Netanyahu announced that Israel would work to establish full security control over Gaza after the conflict, aiming to “eliminate security threats” while refusing to allow the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza.