Palestine blasts Washington over West Bank map plans

Ramallah, February 25 (RHC)-- Palestine has said that the U.S.-Israeli team tasked with mapping the areas in the West Bank that would be annexed by Israel under the U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan has no legitimacy.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Palestinian president's spokesperson, said that the new maps under the U.S. Mideast peace plan would not give legitimacy to any side, said a statement published by official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

"These maps that violate United Nations resolutions cannot be transformed into a fait accompli, and the only map that can be recognized and dealt with is the map of the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Abu Rudeineh.

He urged the international community to take actions to halt the Israeli-U.S. moves, warning that it could lead to killing any opportunity for a just and comprehensive peace based on UN resolutions.  A U.S. team is expected to arrive in Israel to work with Israeli counterparts to work on the mapping of the areas in the West Bank that are envisaged as part of Israel under Trump's Middle East peace plan, according to media reports.

Since Trump unveiled his peace plan at a White House ceremony on January 28, Palestinians embarked on an international campaign to rally support against it.  A few days after Trump's announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a joint committee will begin a mapping process that would take several months.