Before a meeting of the international donors’ group for Palestine, the European Union and the United Nations have indicated their continued opposition to Israel’s annexation of land in the Palestinian Territories.
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which allocates donor funding to Palestinian institutions in Gaza and the West Bank, met virtually on Monday in a conference hosted by the EU and led by Norway, the chair nation of the committee.
The meeting of the 15-member body, which includes representatives from Israel, the Palestinians, the United States, the EU and Russia, comes at a crucial juncture for the Middle East peace process.
Pledges from the Israeli government over the annexation of vast swathes of the Palestinian Territories, with the backing of the United States, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have brought the Palestinian cause and economy to the point of collapse.
In recent weeks, the EU and its foreign policy head, Josep Borrell, have repeatedly warned Israel’s designs on the unilateral annexation of Palestinian land threatens the long-held international goal of a two-state solution to the conflict.
In anticipation of the AHLC meeting, the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reiterated opposition to Israeli expansion.
“All sides must do their part in the coming weeks and months in order to preserve the prospect of a negotiated two-state resolution to the conflict, in line with relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements,” Nickolay Mladenov said.
UNSCO also descried the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 on the Palestinians as “immense”.
“The Palestinian Authority needs increased financial and development assistance to address its public health needs, provide essential services and respond to the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic,” it said.
On Monday, Israel revealed it was developing its plans for the de jure annexation of Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Monday that he ordered the military to step up preparations for the annexation and anticipated Palestinian violence that was likely to follow.
Mr Gantz, who had previously voiced reservations over the extension of Israeli sovereignty, appears to have been brought onside with the plans. The centrist politician, who has entered into coalition with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said diplomatic developments had been passed on to Israel’s chief of staff.
A point person is also set to be put in place to co-ordinate Israel’s moves with Washington. Israel’s aspirations for annexation have moved at pace since the unveiling of US President Donald Trump's pro-Israel peace plan earlier this year.
The UN has questioned whether the AHLC will be able to continue its work after the touted expansion.
“An Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank would also call into question the purpose of the AHLC and the engagement of its members in support of Palestinian institution-building,” the UNSCO has said.
The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, said on Monday that any move by Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank would be a serious setback for the Middle East peace process.
