PA Official Hussein al-Sheikh Praises European Sanctions on Settlements

Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and widely seen as the successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed sanctions imposed by 12 European countries and Canada on products from Israeli settlements.

Al-Sheikh stated that the Palestinian leadership appreciates the declaration by the foreign ministers of these nations regarding the two-state solution and the measures taken to restrict trade with illegal settlements. However, he emphasized the need to move beyond condemnations to decisive actions that will halt settlement expansion and the de facto annexation of West Bank territories.

He also called for accountability for settlers involved in acts of terror and violence. Al-Sheikh warned that the continued advancement of settlement plans by the Israeli government, particularly the E1 plan, threatens to fragment Palestinian territory, sever the northern West Bank from the south, and severely undermine the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state with territorial contiguity.

The PLO official reiterated the call for concrete steps to prevent further settlement construction and ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.