An-Najah News - A published statment by the Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hanan Ashrawi, said yesterday that Israel has been on a killing spree, committing at least two acts of cold-blooded and unjustified murders against defenseless Palestinian civilians in less than 24 hours.

Following is the full text of Ashrawi’s statement:

“In the past few days, Israel has escalated its rate and scale of crimes against Palestinian civilians. In the past twenty four hours, Israeli occupation forces have committed two acts of cold-blooded and unjustified murders against defenseless Palestinian civilians, including an autistic man killed this Saturday in Jerusalem.

The latest execution-style killing brings, to at least 21, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces in such senseless acts of violence since January.

The escalation of Israel's crimes and violations coincides with concrete steps on the ground in preparation for the looming formal annexation, which is the ultimate and final act of land grab and mass displacement in Israel's colonial project.

Murders, land appropriation, home demolitions, and other acts of structural violence are on the rise.

Israel will continue to act in this rogue manner and with absolute disregard to international law and Palestinian lives so long as it is shielded from legal and political accountability.

States must realize that allowing this structural violence to continue against the Palestinian people, including such crimes that are anchored in racism and impunity, normalizes these crimes worldwide.

Stopping this brutal and violent colonial regime is an international responsibility the world cannot avert any longer.”