Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state at this stage would be a “reward for terrorism”…reports Asian Lite News
The Palestinian presidency has said that a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital was essential for resolving the conflict and ensuring stability in the region.
The statement by Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh came on Sunday after the Israeli government unanimously rejected any “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state by other countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
Abu Rudeineh warned of “different and dangerous” challenges ahead and said the Palestinian position was firm against the “extremist and obstinate” Israeli stance and the “contradictory” US position.
He urged more Arab and international action to stop “aggression and war,” and said Israel’s continued attacks on Palestinians and their holy sites in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem would not bring security and stability to anyone.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state at this stage would be a “reward for terrorism” and would undermine the chances of a lasting peace deal.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations did not need Netanyahu’s approval or permission.
It said all countries could recognise the state of Palestine without any legal or political obstacles and accused Netanyahu of destroying the prospects of statehood by annexing and expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and isolating Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,985, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.
In a press statement sent to Xinhua news agency, the Ministry said on Sunday that 68,883 Palestinians have been wounded in the coastal enclave since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023.
The Israeli army killed 127 Palestinians and wounded 205 others during the last 24 hours, the Ministry added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
It noted that some victims remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defence and ambulance crews.
In addition, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that Al-Amal Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip witnessed several direct attacks from Israeli tanks.
The association said in a press statement that Israeli forces targetted the fourth floor, causing major material damage and setting the eastern side of the hospital on the blaze, which led to a patient being trapped with his companions, and the medical teams were able to evacuate them at very high risk.
The statement indicated that gunfire targetted the hospital’s fuel tanks, and the crews were not able to determine the extent of the damage due to the high risk.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
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