Local Editor

A bill that would extend all of "Israeli's" new laws onto the Zionist settlements in the occupied West Bank has been approved by the "Israeli" ministerial committee, while some ministers criticized this attempt to annex another part of Palestinian land.

According to the new bill approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday, the "Israeli" laws would be applied through a military decree of "Israel" War Forces Central Command thus implying "Israeli" sovereignty on those territories in the occupied West Bank.

Six ministers voted in favor of the proposal while four voted against it. War Minister Tzipi Livni announced she would appeal the decision.

"The real goal of this bill is to normalize an abnormal situation - an expanding occupation masquerading as civil rights," she said.

Zehava Gal-On, leader of leftist party Meretz, stated, "This stands in complete contradiction with international law which "Israel" has accepted," adding that, "Whoever chooses to live in the settlements knows this is occupied territory. Now they want to conduct a de facto annexation while only extending the law to settlers, which creates a policy of apartheid."

The new law is widely seen as a step toward annexation amid widening "Israeli" settlement activity considered illegal by most countries.

Moreover, a latest report suggests "Israel" is planning to claim some 3,176 acres of Palestinian land around an occupied West Bank village near central occupied Al-Quds for "for military purposes," according to residents of the village who were handed orders signed by the head of "Israel" War Forces Central Command.

"Israel" occupied the territories in the West Bank following the Six-day war in 1967. Since then, "Israel" has built numerous settlements which are now under military regulation in the occupied land.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team