PLO Secretary General Dr. Saeb Erekat on Collective Punishment

The Israeli government has continued its intentional targeting and collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population, a breach of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a war crime under international law.

Mr. Netanyahu’s announcement is a reminder to the international community of the urgent need for international intervention to protect the occupied Palestinian people from relentless attack by the Israeli military forces and terrorist settlers.

Concurrent with this Israeli escalation, Netanyahu insists on consolidating Israel’s racist oppressive policies across occupied Palestine, and particularly in and around occupied East Jerusalem, through further demolitions, expropriation, and murder.

Netanyahu and his right-wing extremist government cannot and will not break the will of our people to fulfill our inalienable rights in an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian leadership will not remain silent. We continue to report all Israeli crimes committed against our people to the International Criminal Court, and to call upon world leaders to take immediate action to prevent such crimes. The only way toward a just and lasting peace is for Israel to end its belligerent occupation of Palestine.