Expressing unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, BNP Acting Chairman on Friday voiced deep concern over Israel’s latest plans to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement on his verified Facebook page, he warned that this move would further erase hopes for a viable Palestinian state and push the region closer to chaos.

“I strongly call upon the international community to condemn and put pressure on the Israeli government for their settlement plans and ask that the International Court of Justice not delay their verdict of a clear genocide in Gaza by the Israeli government while Palestinians suffer even more,” the BNP leader said.

He said Bangladeshis around the world have always stood in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Palestine against violent colonial oppression and erasure, and continue to do so proudly.

“Recent news of plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank that make any future Palestinian state virtually impossible is heart-breaking,” Tarique said.

He said the continued apartheid and attack on the people of Palestine, their culture, their land, their history by Benjamin Netanyahu is no less than genocide and planned ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. “It is abhorrent.”

The BNP leader also voiced concern for the safety of millions of Bangladeshis living and working in the Middle East and Gulf regions.

“Many Bangladeshis live and work within the Middle East and Gulf region. I am deeply concerned for them and their families’ safety and security because of how this Israeli government is pushing the entire region towards an abyss,” he said.

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The recent Israeli approval of thousands of new housing units in West Bank settlements has drawn global criticism, with human rights groups warning that such