UN chief urges Israel to cease and reverse all settlement activities

Ahram Online , Tuesday 20 Jun 2023

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Israel to immediately cease and reverse all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory and to fully respect its legal obligations toward Palestinians, a UN spokesman said.

UN Chief
File photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press briefing on climate at UN headquarters in New York on June 15, 2023. AFP

 

 

"The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by the Israeli Government decison to amend settlement planning procedures", deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

The Israeli government approved on Sunday a draft decision to expedite settlement expansion procedures in the occupied West Bank, giving more authority to far-right Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.

Antonio Guterres also "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,” Haq added.

"He is also deeply alarmed by the anticipated advancement next week of over 4,000 settlement housing units by Israeli planning authorities", the statement further said.

​Similarly, last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government passed a new two-year budget that clears the way to press ahead with its religious, pro-settlement agenda.

The new budget has been criticized for allocating nearly $4 billion in discretionary funds, much of it for ultra-Orthodox and pro-settler parties.

The funds also include tens of millions of dollars for hard-line pro-settler parties to promote pet projects through the ministries they control.

“The expansion of these illegal settlements is a significant driver of tensions and violence and deepens humanitarian needs,” Haq added.

Guterres also called on the Israeli government to take "concrete steps" to implement the commitments made in the Joint Communiqués in Aqaba, Jordan and Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, respectively.

Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the defense ministry, has said he hopes to double the population of West Bank settlers in the coming years.

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