'Israeli occupation' most critical threat to Palestinian environment: PA Premier Shtayyeh

Launching a scathing attack on its adversary, the State of Palestine has claimed that "Israeli occupation" is the most critical environmental threat that its people are facing. In a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) on Monday, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh highlighted that Zionist settlements in the occupied West Bank are a major cause of environmental degradation in the region. In addendum, he also highlighted Israel’s below-standard waste treatment and its devastating repercussions on Palestinian land. It is imperative to note that huge amounts of wastewater from the West bank settlements-particularly Ariel- flow through Palestine(as a part of the Jordan River) before falling into the Dead Sea every year.

“The way in which waste is treated by Israel, particularly toxic waste, as well as solid waste, are the principal causes of pollution in Palestine,” Shtayyeh was quoted as saying by Jerusalem Post.

During the meet, the Palestinian leader also called for the region’s independence and sovereignty asserting that Israeli occupation hindered its sustainable development goals, as reported by Jerusalem Post. “Nonetheless the Israeli occupation is the major stumbling block to sustainable development in Palestine. The occupation must come to an immediate end so that our people can live in freedom and in dignity and can do so in an independent territory with its capital Jerusalem,” he said at the conference that witnessed more than 130 world leaders in attendance.

“I hope we will continue to cooperate and collaborate and work together to ensure clean air and a clean and greener environment for one and all,” he added.

'Difficult to achieve independence'

West Bank is a landlocked sliver of land which is bordered by Jordan and Israel. While Israel occupied the area in 1967, Palestinians claim it to be their own. The West Bank also includes the area of East Jerusalem, which is one of the key areas of contention owing to its religious importance. At present, it houses over one lakh Israeli settlers while roughly two to three million Palestinians live in the disputed territory under limited self-governance and Israeli rule, according to BBC. Palestinians have repeatedly highlighted that with a rising number of settlements in the West Bank, it has become increasingly difficult to achieve their "dream of independence".

(File Image: AP)