The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine has ordered its embassies and diplomatic representations in all countries to intensify their efforts before the governments where they are accredited, in order to gather an immediate international reaction to the increase of Israeli actions in Hebron and in other occupied Palestinian territories, after the closure decreed by Israel in this city of the West Bank.
In an official note, the Ministry has described that in Hebron there are forced displacements, demolitions of homes and properties, in addition to the closure of the sacred site of Haram al Ibrahimi, all accompanied by aggressions against the Palestinian population and their places of worship.
Foreign Affairs has also warned that the statements of high-ranking Israeli officials, who propose to extend the military operations being carried out in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, could lead to a resurgence of violence and new mass evacuations of entire neighborhoods.
The Palestinian government has expressed in the document its fear that this escalation could reach levels never seen since 1967 and reproduce the Nakba --a term that means "catastrophe" in Arabic and refers to the forced displacement of Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel-- through new modalities of military intervention and colonial expansion.
Palestinian diplomacy has also linked these threats to the current electoral scenario in Israel and has warned that the rights of Palestinian citizens could be sacrificed for decisions aimed at obtaining internal political benefits.
In light of this situation, the Ministry has demanded that the reaction of the international community go beyond mere verbal condemnations and translate into "concrete and deterrent measures" that put a stop to impunity, ensure the protection of the civilian population, and safeguard their lands, their institutions, and their sacred spaces.
In the same vein, it has insisted that international actors must intervene to prevent new episodes of "forced displacement, genocide, and ethnic cleansing" and to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination. The Ministry has reiterated that the goal remains the establishment of a "independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital," as well as the end of the occupation, which it points out as the main cause of these violations.
The statement is released following the order of the Israeli authorities, this Friday, to their security forces to close the city of Hebron and evacuate entire neighborhoods, after a shooting recorded in the morning in the area, in which two Israeli soldiers died and three others were injured by gunfire from two Palestinians who were shot dead.