PALESTINE – Israel is exploiting the Middle East crisis to expand illegal settlements in occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian diplomat.

Speaking during a briefing to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the State of Palestine on Tuesday, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin warned that Israel is accelerating policies aimed at expanding illegal settlements and imposing permanent control over Palestinian land.

She said Israeli authorities are taking advantage of the international community’s focus on regional crises to advance annexation efforts through settlement expansion and legislative and administrative measures.

Shahin said such policies undermine the two-state solution and threaten the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

The minister added that illegal Israeli settlers carry out organized daily attacks targeting Palestinians and their property, including killings, physical assaults, arson attacks on homes and vehicles, destruction of agricultural land, and seizure of resources, “under the direct protection of the Israeli army.”

Shahin also noted that seven Palestinians have been killed by illegal Israeli settlers since Feb. 28, when the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran, which are still ongoing.

She said the death toll in the West Bank since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023 reached 42, based on Palestinian government data.

The foreign minister also pointed to the ongoing violations against Islamic holy sites, including the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the Iran war, and restrictions preventing worshippers from performing prayers during Ramadan.

Shahin described the measures as “a clear violation of freedom of worship.”

She called on the international community to take legal and practical steps to stop the violations and provide protection for Palestinians in line with international law and relevant resolutions.

Since the start of the Gaza war, attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers in the West Bank have killed 1,133 Palestinians and injured about 11,700 others, in addition to the arrest of around 22,000 people, according to official Palestinian figures.

The tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.