Palestinian Ambassador to UK: ‘Israel’ exploiting regional war to consolidate occupation
LONDON, March 21 (YPA) – Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Husam Zomlot, has warned that the Middle East is ablaze , with Israel exploiting the ongoing regional conflict to impose profound changes in the occupied Palestinian territories largely away from the world’s attention.
In an article published in The Economist, Zomlot described developments in the West Bank not as transient events, but as part of a strategic Israeli plan aimed at consolidating regional dominance and delivering a final blow to the idea of a Palestinian state, taking advantage of the world’s focus on the broader regional war.
He highlighted an unprecedented acceleration in settlement expansion and land confiscation, which Israel terms “extending sovereignty” but which international law classifies as “illegal annexation.”
Zomlot noted that plans intended to divide the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem through settlement links stretching toward the Jordan Valley.
The ambassador also warned of rising settler violence against Palestinians, backed by the Israeli occupation government and increasingly involving the military. He cited UN reports indicating that reserve units are acting as “de facto militias” on the ground.
Regarding Gaza, Zomlot said the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic despite ceasefire agreements, with ongoing casualties, widespread infrastructure destruction, and strict restrictions on aid deliveries—a pattern he noted is also repeated in Lebanon.
Although there are signs of a gradual shift in the international stance, with over 140 countries supporting a two-state solution and International Court of Justice rulings declaring the occupation illegal, Zomlot argued that “Israel” continues to escalate its actions, reflecting long-term expansionist objectives.
He called for urgent international intervention along two parallel tracks: an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire across the region, and the translation of political support for a two-state solution into practical measures, including sanctions on the occupation system and bans on settlement-related activities.
Zomlot emphasized that the Palestinian issue remains at the core of Middle East instability, warning that any regional framework that fails to address the root of the conflict is doomed to fail.
He stressed that achieving a just and lasting peace is still possible but requires decisive and comprehensive action on this issue.
@E.Y.M