KUWAIT: The Foreign Ministry expressed Kuwait’s strong condemnation of Zionist occupation’s expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a press statement, the Ministry reiterated Kuwait’s rejection of all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. It deplored the occupation’s activities as a blatant violation of international conventions that deliberately undermines international efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

The Ministry urged the international community and the UN Security Council to press Zionist occupation to fully comply with the relevant UN resolutions. On Thursday, the Zionist Cabinet approved a plan presented by the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to legalize five illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank and impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority.

The plan also includes the issuance of tenders for thousands of new housing units in the illegal settlements in the West Bank. It also involves revoking permits and benefits for Palestinian officials, restricting their movement, and preventing senior officials from leaving the country, as well as removing executive powers from the Palestinian Authority in the southern West Bank, enforcing laws against unauthorized construction, and protecting heritage sites and environmental areas.

International action

Meanwhile, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi on Sunday called on the international community and human rights organizations to shoulder their responsibilities and stand up against daily violations against Palestinians in Gaza. Al-Budaiwi made the remark to KUNA and Kuwait TV following the opening of the 23rd regular session of the Independent Permanent Commission for Human Rights of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held at the organization’s headquarters in Jeddah.

He emphasized the urgent need for the GCC and the OIC to “intensify their support for our brothers in Palestine.” He noted that the meeting of the Permanent Commission for Human Rights comes at a sensitive and critical time, given the current situation in the region and the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where human rights violations persist. Al-Budaiwi added that the credibility of human rights standards has been severely undermined by the events in the Gaza Strip, rendering the issue of human rights a “dead end paper.”

On the other hand, Al-Budaiwi mentioned that the meeting aims to discuss confronting artificial intelligence, which may be a double-edged sword, either serving humanity or violating human rights. This requires considering the possibility of reaching legislation that preserves privacy and protects against the risks that artificial intelligence may pose. He pointed to the continued high coordination between the GCC and the OIC on all issues and in various international forums, highlighting memoranda of understanding and joint action plans that cover many topics.

He said that the GCC countries are active members of the OIC and that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts the organization, stressing the important role it plays. The session, due to continue until July 4, discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights. The session’s agenda for the following days includes regular and closed discussion sessions on a number of different topics, with the final report of the session to be issued next Thursday. — KUNA