(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, March 25 (KUNA) -- Israel increased settlement plans and construction in the occupied Palestinian territory in the past three months, said UN Middle East Coordinator.
Presenting his first report under resolution 2334, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickloay Mladenov said the resolution that was adopted in December 2016, called on Israel to take steps to cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. However, no such steps have been taken during the reporting period.
He underscored that all settlements activities were illegal under international law.
Mladenov told the 15-member body that Israel made two major announcements for a total of 5,500 housing units in settlements in Area C of the occupied West Bank. Within three weeks, some 3,000 housing units had advanced through the planning process and more than 240 units had reached the final approval stage. He noted that 80 percent of the 4,000 settlement moves-in the last three months were concentrated in and around major Israeli population centers close to the 1967 line, while some 20 per cent were in outlying locations deep inside the occupied West Bank.
The UN official called on Israel to "do more" to improve the Palestinians' daily life, noting that as foreign aid continued to decline, it was critical that the Palestinian authority and its international partners work together in a transparent manner.
He then underscored that the two-state solution was the only means of realizing the national aspirations of both peoples.
The resolution adopted by the Council reaffirms that the establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity. It constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and is a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and the peace process.(end) mao.ag
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