RAMALLAH, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday denounced the Israeli announcement to confiscate almost 700 acres (2.83 square km) of Palestinian owned land of Qaryout village located southwest of West Bank's Nablus city.
The land lots at risk are in Area (B) and the aim of this land confiscation is believed to be the expansion of the nearby Israeli settlement of Eli, according to local sources.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry described it as "the biggest land theft and annexation of large parts from the occupied West Bank."
Under the interim Oslo Agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government in 1993, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area (A) under Palestinian control, Area (B) under Palestinian and Israeli control and Area (C) under full Israeli control.
The ministry further warned that Israel "continues to undermine any chance to achieve peace on the basis of a two-state solution, while deepening the apartheid system in Palestine and transforming the Palestinian areas in the West Bank into isolated communities in the midst of a huge ocean of settlements."
According to the official Palestinian News Agency, the Israeli military issued an aerial picture showing that 700 acres of Qaryout village land located in Area (B), which is under Palestinian administration and Israeli security control, has been cut off for the expansion of the illegal settlement of Eli.
The aerial picture shows that the cut off area has become titled "coordination areas," which means that Palestinians are no longer allowed access into it unless they obtain a special permit.
No Israeli sources were available to comment on the statement.
Israeli settlement activity is considered one of the issues that hindered the peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis.
