Nabil Abu Rudeineh
Nabil Abu RudeinehReuters

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesman of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday condemned Israel’s approval of the construction of thousands of new housing units in Judea and Samaria.

The spokesman said in a statement that "the entire settlement is illegal in all Palestinian lands, in accordance with international legitimacy, and in particular Security Council resolution 2334, which emphasized the fact that the settlement is against international law and clarified its illegality."

"The settlements in all the Palestinian lands will be removed like the settlements in Gaza," vowed Abu Rudeineh.

"Israel's insistence on the continuation of the settlement policy makes it clear that the Israeli government completely ignores the desire of the international community and is acting in complete contradiction to internationally legitimate resolutions, and this requires immediate international intervention to provide protection to our [Palestinian] people," he said.

Abu Rudeineh said that the Palestinian people and its leadership headed by Abbas are steadfast in their attachment to their land, regardless of Israeli activity, until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders with its capital in eastern Jerusalem.