United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Wednesday that Israel's plans to tighten its grip on the occupied West Bank in preparation for settlement expansion constitute a step toward illegal annexation, in a fresh condemnation of Israeli measures.

In a statement, he said, "If these decisions are implemented, they will undoubtedly accelerate the stripping of Palestinians of their rights, forcibly displace them, and lead to the establishment of more illegal Israeli settlements."

He added, "It will increase the deprivation of Palestinians of their natural resources and restrict their enjoyment of other human rights."

Homes in the West Bank. (AFP)

In its latest international stance, Canada strongly condemned Israel's decision to expand its control over the West Bank.

The Canadian Global Affairs Ministry said in a statement, "These measures violate international law, undermine prospects for peace, and weaken the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state."

Appeal from Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed the necessity of confronting "Israeli violations in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, halting them, and adhering to international law."

He emphasized, in a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo on Wednesday, that "these measures constitute a blatant violation of international law and resolutions on international legitimacy, and aim to undermine Palestinian state institutions and the two-state solution, entrenching the occupation through attempts to legitimize settlements and seize land, in violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions."

He called for "urgent and effective European and international action to halt annexation and settlement expansion, and to hold the Israeli government accountable for its ongoing violations, in order to preserve the credibility of the international order based on respect for law and the United Nations Charter."

Abbas urged Norway, the European Union, the United States, and all international partners to "pressure Israel to stop the financial war and halt illegal deductions from Palestinian tax revenues, which restrict the government's ability to meet its obligations to the Palestinian people, as well as to release all withheld funds."

In addition, the officials reviewed "efforts to stabilize the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," emphasizing "the need to move to the second phase of President Donald Trump's plan," and reaffirming "the unity of Palestinian land, rejecting any plans to separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, and calling for the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, enabling the Palestinian government to perform its duties throughout Palestinian territory based on the principle of one legitimate authority, one law, and one legitimate armed force."

The Israeli security cabinet approved a package of measures aimed at enabling Israeli Jews to directly purchase land in the West Bank and to strengthen Israeli control over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in a statement on Sunday that the measures "radically change the legal and civil reality" in the West Bank. Smotrich added that they lead to "burying the idea of establishing a Palestinian state."

An American official noted that President Donald Trump opposes annexation of the West Bank and aims to establish stability.

The official added, in response to a question about the Israeli measures, "Stability in the West Bank preserves Israel's security and aligns with this administration's goal of achieving peace."