Amman, July 1 (Petra) – Secretary-General of the Royal Commission for
Jerusalem Affairs (RCJA), Abdullah Kanaan, Wednesday said illegal
Israeli settlement expansion is a “deliberate colonial policy
designed to displace Palestinians and derail peace efforts.”

Kanaan, in remarks to “Petra,” noted rhetoric from Israel’s
right-wing government signals a “clear’ intent to expand settlements
and undermine the two-state solution.

He referred to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remarks after
approval of the E1 settlement plan last year, which Smotrich openly
boasted would “effectively erase the illusion of a two-state
solution.”

The pace of settlement expansion surged “dramatically,” according to
Kanaan, with the current Israeli government authorizing or legalizing
roughly 103 settlements in the West Bank, almost matching the 127
built from 1967 up until this administration took power.

Citing Palestinian monitors, Kanaan said the total number of
settlements and outposts has reached 542, which encircle Jerusalem
and the Aqsa Mosque and isolate and threatenPalestinian communities
with displacement.

Continuing: “This rapid acceleration of settlement expansion is a
deliberate reflection of official Israeli policy. This expansion
persists despite intensifying international condemnation and clear
violations of international law, most notably UN Security Council
Resolution 2334, which explicitly demands an immediate halt to all
settlement activity.”

Kanaan stated Jordan’s position, which calls for ending the Israeli
occupation and freezing settlements, is “vital” for peace and the
creation of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with
East Jerusalem as its capital.

In a related context, he also stressed Jordan’s ongoing commitment,
under the Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites, to
support Palestinians and pursue international diplomacy to ensure
regional stability.

//Petra// HA