UN SG reacts to illegal expansion of West Bank settlements
As Israel approves plan for nearly 800 housing units in the occupied West Bank, SG criticized the development as burying two-state hopes.
United Nations
Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali
As Israel gives final approval for expansion of settlements within the West Bank, UN remains opposed to the development.
Contending that it is a grave contravention of previous United Nations mandates, the expansion of settlements within the West Bank “threatens the status quo of the occupied territories,” says Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq.
The staunch condemnation comes as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalal Smotrich announced the approval of over 764 housing units to be built in three settlements within the occupied West Bank. The announcement on Wednesday saw particular disapproval by the Palestinian Authority, noting that the development curtails efforts at regional peace and buries the prospect of a comprehensive two-state solution.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian President’s spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, told Palestinian state news agency WAFA Washington should press Israel to “reverse their settlement policies, attempts at annexation and expansion, and the theft of Palestinian land, and to compel them to abide by international legitimacy and international law.” Echoed by Haq, he added, “we believe the latest developments are unhelpful towards efforts to achieve a two-state solution.”
Nonetheless, Smotrich, who has previously opposed any creation of a neighboring Palestinian state, has seen approximately 51,370 housing units approved by the government’s Higher Planning Council in the West Bank since his term began in late 2022.
