Chile to open honorary consulate in Bethlehem

The Republic of Chile has announced its intention to open an honorary consulate in Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The announcement was made during a meeting between Palestine’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amal Jadou, and Chile’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ximena Fuentes in Santiago, Wafa has reported.

Jadou briefed the Chilean representatives on the latest political developments in Palestine, and the reality imposed by the Israeli occupation government on the ground in terms of violations, sieges and raids into Palestinian cities and villages, especially the city of Nablus. The city has been under Israeli siege for 16 days.

She also mentioned the shoot to kill policy adopted by the occupation soldiers. Six Palestinians from Nablus and Ramallah were killed yesterday. The Palestinian official then touched on the suffering of Palestinian prisoners, especially those held by Israel under administrative detention, which sees almost 700 prisoners detained with neither charge nor trial, including women and children.

Given that Chile is now a member of the Human Rights Council, Jadou pointed out that it can play a greater role in defending the rights of the Palestinian people.

In response, Fuentes affirmed Chile’s historical and firm stance towards the Palestinian issue and the two-state solution, as well as its opposition to Israel’s settlement policies, which Chile regards as illegal under international law. Chile, she added, will do its best to mobilise regional support to stand by the Palestinian people to obtain their rights.

READ: Fatah backs general strike in occupied West Bank