UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya May 3, 2023.
Image: Reuters
Despite international criticism, Israel wants to build more than 4,500 more housing units in the occupied West Bank. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sees this as a violation of international law.
uN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to withdraw final planning permission for settlements in the occupied West Bank. “The Secretary-General reiterates that the settlements constitute a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to achieving a viable two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace,” UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said Monday. The expansion of illegal settlements is the cause of tension and violence in the region and aggravates the humanitarian emergency.
Plans for approval of 4,560 housing units in various areas of the West Bank are on the Supreme Planning Council’s agenda for this week. 1332 apartments are awaiting final approval while the rest are still going through the preliminary process.
Most countries consider the Jewish settlements established on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War to be illegal. Its expansion is one of the main points of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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