UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Israel to “halt and reverse” its decision this week to approve almost 800 new homes in West Bank settlements.
The approval by the Civil Administration came days before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden.
The decision is “a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace” in the Middle East, Guterres said in a statement.
“The establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law,” he said.
“Settlement expansion… further erodes the possibility of ending the occupation and establishing a contiguous and viable sovereign Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 lines,” Guterres added.
The action has previously been condemned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israeli opposition members and left-wing watchdog Peace Now, among others.
Peace Now said that over 90 percent of the homes would be built deep inside the West Bank, which the Palestinians seek as the heartland of a future independent state, and over 200 homes would be located in unauthorized outposts that the government has decided to legalize. READ MORE
