United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply troubled by the Israeli government’s decision to amend settlement planning procedures that would expedite the advancement of Israeli settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to a statement by the Secretary-General’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. ‘He is also deeply alarmed by the anticipated advancement next week of over 4,000 settlement housing units by Israeli planning authorities,’ he added in the statement published yesterday. ‘The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to the realization of a viable two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The expansion of these illegal settlements is a significant driver of tensions and violence and deepens humanitarian needs. It further entrenches Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, encroaches on Palestinian land and natural resources, hampers the free movement of the Palestinian population, and undermines the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and sovereignty,’ said the statement. ‘The Secretary-General urges the Government of Israel to halt and reverse such decisions and to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to fully respect its legal obligations in that regard,’ it added, further calling for concrete steps to be taken to implement the commitments made in the Joint Communiqués in Aqaba, Jordan and Sharm al-Sheik, Egypt, respectively.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency