Doha, October 22 (QNA) - In a new flouting of the legitimacy and international resolutions that call for ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Israeli Knesset voted on Wednesday on a bill to annex the occupied West Bank to Israel by imposing Israeli sovereignty over areas across the bank.
The bill was introduced by Avi Maoz, leader of the far-right Noam party, who pushed back on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to delay its introduction.
This move coincides with US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Israel, notwithstanding the pushback from the US regarding this bill.
Last July, the Knesset ratified a declaration that calls for imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank with a majority of 71 members, in response to the increasing global recognitions of a Palestinian state. The move received large-scale global apprehension and was considered a violation of international law, which vehemently undermines the enforcement of the two-state solution.
In an indication of Netanyahu's no qualms about any international resolutions, press reports last July unveiled increasing numbers of settlement outposts in the West Bank, with a 40% increase under the government of Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In addition, dozens of new settlements were established, with the existing ones breaking records throughout the past two and a half years. In early 2025, it was agreed to build 41,709 settlement units, a number higher than the one recorded in the past six years that preceded the current government from 2017 to 2022.
Based on Palestinian reports, the number of settlers in the West Bank reached approximately 770,000 by the end of 2024, distributed across 180 settlements and 256 outposts, of which 138 outposts are classified as rural and agricultural.
The United Nations considers the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal and warns that they erode the conflict resolution opportunities based on the two-state solution, one Palestinian state and another Israeli stateand has been calling in vain for halting these settlements for years.
The UNGA, a year ago, specifically on Sept. 19, 2024, with a majority of 124 votes in favor versus 14 against, approved the first resolution submitted by Palestine demanding Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories within 12 months.
The resolution was met with wide Arab, Islamic, and international welcome, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the time that the vote of two-thirds of the General Assembly members in favor of the resolution constituted a global consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause and a victory for the Palestinian people's rights.

The draft resolution was intended to endorse the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July of the same year, at the request of UNGA.
The court concluded that Israel's persistent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and that it is obligated to end this presence as rapidly as possible, as well as to immediately halt all new settlement activities and evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory, while providing reparation for the harm caused to all natural and legal persons concerned in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The ruling concluded that all nations are obliged to never recognize the legitimacy of the situation emerging from this unlawful presence, stressing that international organizations, including the UN, are compelled to never recognize that situation.
It demanded that the UN, particularly UNGA and UNSC, which requested this ruling, weigh ways and measures to end the Israeli unlawful existence in the occupied Palestinian territories as quickly as possible.
In Washington, Axios news portal reported that 46 Democratic senators have sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing their pushback to any Israeli actions aimed at annexing territory or expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The senators emphasized the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and underscored the importance of continuing humanitarian aid to the enclave amidst the catastrophic conditions created by the war.
The letter, in question, stressed the importance of bolstering the steps that maintain the feasibility of the two-state solution, clarifying that any unilateral steps could erode the political and diplomatic efforts underway.
This move came following the declaration of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as US President Donald Trump previously told Arab and Muslim leaders that he wouldn't allow Israel to annex territories in the West Bank.
However, this commitment had not been incorporated into the 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, with the Arab leaders presenting conditions to approve that plan, mostly Israel's commitment to never annex territories, either from the West Bank or Gaza.
During a meeting on the margins of UNGA meetings, Trump underscored his commitment to this condition, affirming that he would obstruct any Israeli move toward annexation.
On Sept. 18, 2025, the deadline set by UNGA to Israel to end its unlawful existence in the occupied Palestinian territories ended. It was a 12-month deadline, and instead Israel continued its crazy war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza enclave and the West Bank.
As such, Israel deepened its unlawful occupation, coupled with exponential annexation policies for annexation, seizure, and demolition. Meanwhile, international resolutions calling for an end to the aggression, the cessation of the occupation, and the removal of settlements have remained mere words on paper, until further notice. (QNA)