Safadi warns of ‘explosion’ in West Bank due to Israel’s economic blockade

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday participated in the International Partners Meeting on Palestine, convened by Norway, the chair of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), and hosted by the EU in Brussels.

Safadi emphasised the urgent need for international support for the Palestinians and the Palestinian National Authority to ensure a "decent" standard of living for Palestinians, according to a ministry statement.

The minister called for increased pressure on Israel to stop its unilateral, illegitimate and illegal measures, warning that these actions undermine all possibilities for achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Safadi highlighted the importance of intensifying efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, expressing concern over the suffering and humanitarian crisis faced by the Palestinians due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the strip since October 7.

The top diplomat also stressed the necessity of allowing adequate and sustainable humanitarian aid to reach all parts of the besieged Strip without any hindrances.

Safadi reiterated that any approach that isolates Gaza from the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, from a security perspective and outside a comprehensive plan to end the conflict, is unacceptable.

The minister warned that the situation in the West Bank is on the brink of explosion due to the severe conditions resulting from Israel’s economic blockade on the Palestinians and its failure to comply with its legal obligations to pay the financial dues of the Palestinian National Authority.

Safadi noted that this non-compliance severely hinders the authority’s ability to pay salaries and ensure that Palestinians can provide for their families. He stressed that the economic siege on the Palestinian economy and the withholding of the authority’s dues are actions designed to starve the Palestinians.

He also said that these actions send a clear message “the current Israeli government continues its illegitimate actions that kill prospects for peace, undermine the two-state solution, escalate regional tension, and deprive the entire region and its peoples of their right to live in security and peace.”