Palestinians declare 'day of rage' against U.S., Israel
CGTN
A Palestinian youth throws a stone toward Israeli security forces during clashes at the entrance of al-Shuhada street that Israel unilaterally closed in 1994, in the West Bank city of Hebron, August 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

A Palestinian youth throws a stone toward Israeli security forces during clashes at the entrance of al-Shuhada street that Israel unilaterally closed in 1994, in the West Bank city of Hebron, August 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

Palestinian officials on Sunday declared launch of protests against the latest remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Officials said that the protests will kick off with a "Day of Rage" on Tuesday, a day of protests to take place at military checkpoints throughout the West Bank.

The coordinator of National and Islamic faction in Ramallah city, Issam Baker, said that the factions have held meetings with civil society organizations to decide on popular steps rejecting the latest declaration by Washington.

Fatah party member Abbas Zaki said that the popular movements are aimed at "putting an end to Israel's practices on the ground, its settlement activity, killings and settler violence and their violations against Palestinians."

He said that the popular protests will take place in parallel with official movements by the Palestinian leadership at the United Nations, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Arab and Islamic organizations, to halt the Israeli and U.S. measures supporting settlements.

A vehicle that was set on fire in the southern Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

A vehicle that was set on fire in the southern Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, deputy chairperson of Fatah party, Mahmoud Aloul, said in a press statement following a meeting with his party members earlier on Sunday that the party has decided on the "main points for a struggle program and movement on the ground," to counter the U.S. administration and the Israeli government measures, which "continue to violate the rights of Palestinian people and are committing crimes against us."

Aloul said that the Palestinian leadership is mulling ways "to protect the Palestinian cause."

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat told Voice of Palestine, the official Palestinian radio station, that Palestine will raise all outstanding issues to the ICC general commission expected next month.

He said that Palestine will ask the ICC judicial council to open an investigation into the "crimes of the Israeli occupation, and publish the database of companies dealing with products manufactured in the illegal Israeli settlements."

He added that international human rights organizations should "defend human rights and combat war crimes and not be subject to any political blackmail from any country."

The Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, November 19, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, November 19, 2019. /VCG Photo

Last Week, Pompeo said that the United States considers "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law," and that the United States was not weighing in on the legality of any individual settlement, leaving that to Israeli courts.

He also said that this should not be read as a statement on the final status of the West Bank, which is "for the Israelis and the Palestinians to negotiate."

Around half a million Israeli settlers live in the West Bank settlements, including East Jerusalem.

Israeli settlement activity is deemed illegal by most world powers and under international law. It is considered one of the issues that hindered the peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis, which collapsed in 2014.

Political ties between the United States and Palestine have been severed right after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel in December 2017.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency