Palestine demands Arab League hosts emergency meeting amid US settlement decision

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday evening the unprecedented change in policy, in which he said "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law".

In reaction, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the Arab League to hold a meeting to discuss the sudden change in US policy.

The Arab League has agreed to host the meeting, but has not yet decided on a date.

On Tuesday, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheith condemned Pompeo's remarks, warning of a negative escalation as a result of the "unfortunate change" in Washington's policy.

Read more: Trump's 'shameless' decision to declare Israeli settlements 'legal' sparks global outrage

The policy has been criticised across the world, with Turkey, China, Russia and the European Union warning this will cause a wider escalation in the already volatile region.

A United Nations resolution was passed in favour of Palestine in reaction to Washington's decision, urging Palestinians' right to self-determination.

Canada, which 2006 has refused to vote to support for Palestine’s right to self determination in previous UN resolutions had for the first time voted in favour as a direct response to the US' change in policy. 

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the US decision did "not modify existing international law, nor its interpretation by the International Court of Justice and the UN Security Council".

Half-a-century of illegal occupation

Israel has occupied the West Bank illegally since 1967, and commits various abuses against Palestinian civilians, human rights groups say.

More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.

The Oslo agreement of 1995 divided the occupied West Bank into three: Area A, Area B and Area C.

Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Area B's administration is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, with Israel controlling security. Area C is under full administrative and security control of Israel.

Along with stealing land, Israeli soldiers and settlers routinely harass Palestinians in the occupied territories in various ways.

Israeli forces and settlers routinely harass Palestinians in the occupied territories through harming and killing civilians, demolishing homes, poisoning livestock, vandalising property and other forms of violence.

Israel often forces Palestinians to demolish their own homes under the pretext of not having a building permits.

Applications for building permits often take years to be processed, giving Israeli courts a loophole to increase Palestinian home demolitions by branding structures as "illegal".

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