RAMALLAH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Palestine condemned on Saturday the Israeli plans to allow Israeli citizens to register land deeds in Area C of the West Bank with the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

"This move sought by Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett is a challenge to the International Criminal Court," the Palestinian presidency said in a statement published on the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA).

"It constitutes an attempt to annex large parts of Palestinian lands," the statement said.

The Palestinian presidency urged the international community to "reject and condemn once again everything that violates international law, particularly settlements, and the policy of annexation."

Under the Oslo Accords signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in 1990s, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A under Palestinian control, Area B under joint Palestinian-Israeli control, and Area C under full Israeli control.

The Oslo Accords were supposed to expire after a five-year interim phase, after which the entire West Bank area should be returned to Palestinian control.

However, Israeli settlement activity there continued and crippled the final status peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. Enditem

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