King: What Is Happening in Gaza and the West Bank Are Two Sides of the Same Israeli Strategy

Al-Taj News – His Majesty King Abdullah II affirmed that what is happening in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is not two separate stories, but rather “two sides of the same Israeli strategy,” warning that the goal is to make the establishment of a viable Palestinian state impossible.

In an address before the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Majesty said that Palestinians are being killed on both fronts, while efforts are underway to impose a new reality on the ground “through destruction in Gaza, and through the de facto annexation of land in the West Bank.”

The King noted that what is happening in Gaza can no longer be considered temporary military measures or consequences of the war, saying that “accountability begins when we call things by their true names: an attempt to erase the Palestinian presence and impose a new reality in Gaza.”

In the West Bank, His Majesty said that what is happening is not merely an escalation, but rather a “radical transformation,” amid the expansion of settler violence, land seizures, the expansion of settlements, and the displacement of Palestinian families from their land.

The King described the demolition of Palestinian homes to expand illegal settlements as “forced displacement,” and the seizure of occupied land as “de facto annexation,” affirming that the interconnected practices in the West Bank form part of a policy aimed at forcing an entire people to leave their land.

His Majesty said there is a clear term to describe this policy: “forced displacement,” affirming that it is a war crime.