(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency)
New York, March 25 (QNA) - The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov confirmed in a statement to the UN Security Council that Israel has ignored a demand by the United Nations Security Council to halt settlement building.
In his first report on the implementation the Security Council resolution adopted in December 23, Mladenov said that the resolution calls on Israel to take steps 'to cease all settlements activities in the occupied Palestinian territory including east Jerusalem', however, "No such steps have been taken during the reporting period," he stressed.
There had been a marked increase in statements, announcements and decisions related to construction and expansion, he continued, calling "the January spike" in illegal settlement announcements by Israel "deeply concerning".
Israel made two major announcements for a total of 5,500 housing units in settlements in Area C of the occupied West Bank, he said. 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. 80% 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% were in outlying locations deep inside the occupied West Bank.
The UN "considers all settlement activities to be illegal under international law and one of the main obstacles to peace," Mladenov stressed. He also spoke of the general situation over the past few months as well as detailed specific instances that had the potential to escalate the situation.
He called on Israel to do more to improve the daily lives of the Palestinians and said that introduction of polices that increase Palestinian civil authority, support Palestinian development and preserve the prospect of a two-state solution, in line with the recommendations of the Middle East Quartet, remained essential. (QNA)
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