Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, on Monday condemned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to approve the construction of 800 new housing units in "illegal settlements established on occupied Palestinian land."
"Netanyahu's decision reflects his attempt to take advantage of the time before the departure of the current US administration, which has closed its eyes to the Israeli government's attempts to steal Palestinian land," Abu Rudeineh said.
Netanyahu's attempts to seize "Palestinian state lands" with American support do not create any legitimacy and the Palestinian people will not allow him to use the Israeli election campaign to steal land, he continued.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that the entire settlement enterprise is "illegal and contrary to international law and Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334.”
He added that there would be no peace or security in the region without the establishment of a Palestinian state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.
The comments came after Netanyahu ordered the promotion of the construction of hundreds of housing units in Judea and Samaria, including more than 100 housing units in Tel Menashe, the community in which terror victim Esther Horgan resided, and the construction of more than 200 housing units in Rehelim and Nofei Nehemia.
In addition, the Prime Minister instructed to bring to the approval of the Supreme Planning Council at its next meeting the construction of about 400 additional housing units in Judea and Samaria.