The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Wednesday accused the Israeli government of supporting Jewish settlers to confiscate Palestinian-owned land.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release that the Israeli authorities "prevent farmers and shepherds in Tubas district in northern West Bank from reaching their farms."
"The Israeli authorities allow hundreds of armed settlers to erect tents in the area where Palestinian shepherds usually feed their sheep," said the ministry.
The Palestinian ministry accused the Israeli government "of leading a status of lawlessness in the area by allowing settlers to uproot the Palestinian Bedouins and seize control of their land. "
The United States has been exerting efforts to resume the stalled peace negotiations between Israel and the PNA. However, PNA officials said Israel carries out measures which would undermine these efforts.
"The Israeli actions in the West Bank undermine the international efforts to resume the peace process, and as a matter of fact it weakens the PNA to impose law and discipline in the area," said the statement.
The ministry called on the international community "to move as quickly as possible to put an end to the Israeli policies and the violations of the international laws and resolutions."
The statement hailed the latest stance of the international Quartet, grouping the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, which criticized Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank.
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