Finland condemns Israeli confiscation of Palestinian territory

Finland on Tuesday condemned the Israeli confiscation of more than 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory and disapproved changes to the 1967 borders without agreement by the parties.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a post in social media platform X said that the confiscation is not only contradictory to the international law, but also contrary to the international efforts to de-escalate.

“We condemn the Israeli confiscation of over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory. This runs counter to not only international law but also international efforts to de-escalate. We do not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties,” the ministry wrote in the social media post.

Earlier on March 22, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared 800 hectares (1,977 acres) in the occupied West Bank as state land of Israel and announced to facilitate the use of the ground for settlement building.

The announcement came when United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel for talks with the Prime Minister of the country Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip from ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to 32,414, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 81 Palestinians and wounded 93 others, it added.

This brings the total death toll to 32,414 and injuries to 74,787 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the ministry.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage.