This satellite photo, released on February 22, 2021, shows construction near the Shimon Peres Negev nuclear center, not far from the city of Dimona, in Israeli-occupied Palestine. (By AP)

Ramallah, November 2 (RHC)-- Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki says Israel must join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and eliminate its stockpile of nuclear weapons in order for a nuclear-weapon-free zone to be established in the Middle East.

Maliki made the appeal on Monday following the adoption of a resolution, submitted by Egypt, at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly that called on Israel to get rid of its atomic armaments.  He welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying, “Israel is obliged to set its programs to be monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as it is the only party in the Middle East that possesses weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons.”  It is essential that Israel has to abide by the relevant rules of international law, the Palestinian foreign minister said.

Earlier in the day, the First Committee decided via a 152-5 vote that Israel should destroy its nuclear weapons.

The resolution, supported by Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Bahrain, also urged the Tel Aviv regime to place its nuclear facilities under the supervision of the IAEA.  The committee also called on Israel to join the NPT without delay, not to develop, manufacture, test, or otherwise obtain nuclear weapons, and to desist from acquiring nuclear munitions.

Israel, which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons, is estimated to possess 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it the sole possessor of non-conventional arms in West Asia.

The illegitimate entity has, however, refused to either allow inspections of its military nuclear facilities or sign the NPT.  What has emboldened Tel Aviv to accelerate its nuclear activities, according to observers, is the support from the United States and Europe, the two parties most critical of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

Over the years, the regime has assassinated at least seven Iranian nuclear scientists and conducted a series of sabotage operations against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.