RAMALLAH, December 13, 2011 (WAFA) – Human rights group Al-Haq published on Tuesday the new position paper of “Exploring the Illegality of ‘Land Swap’ Agreements under Occupation,” said a press release issued by Al-Haq.
The paper examines the legal implications of ongoing ‘land swap’ agreements concluded between Israel and the Palestinian representatives during the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Given the recent calls of the international community for a kick-start to the peace process between Israel and Palestine based on the 1967 borders with ‘mutually agreed land swaps,’ Al-Haq emphasized that agreements involving land swaps are not compatible with the law of occupation.
Commenting on the proposal for land swaps, Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al-Haq, said that “the Fourth Geneva Convention protects the interests of the occupied population and clearly states that any agreements that undermine their rights are prohibited as they are borne of a clear imbalance of power between the two parties involved.”
He added that rather than facilitating the exercise of self-determination and Palestinian sovereignty over their natural resources, ‘land swap’ agreements concluded under occupation will result in further fragmentation of Palestinian society and will effectively constitute official sanctioning of the dispossession of Palestinian land.Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
No comments:
Post a Comment