Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh has warned of the risks posed by Israeli government statements suggesting that the evacuation model used in some refugee camps could be expanded to other areas of the occupied West Bank.
Fattouh said the remarks represented an open declaration of plans to escalate military actions and extend policies of forced displacement.
In a statement Monday, he described the reported plans as part of a broader program aimed at altering the demographic and geographic situation in Palestinian territories, similar to the destruction of residential areas and displacement of residents in Gaza and refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
Fattouh said forced displacement, property destruction and attacks on civilian communities constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity that require international accountability.
He called on the UN, the Security Council and the European Union to take urgent action to provide protection for Palestinians, warning that continued inaction could further threaten regional stability and weaken the international legal order.
