UN chief deplores Israel’s new settlement plan [China Economic Information Service (Xinhua)]
UN chief deplores Israel’s new settlement plan
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday denounced Israel’s announcements of further Jewish settlement plans in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, saying the settlement activity is contrary to international law and constitutes an obstacle to peace.
“Any measures that prejudge final status issues will not be recognized by the international community,” Martin Nesirky, the UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.
Israel announced the plan to build 1,500 new homes in the east Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Scholomo Wednesday, hours after freeing 26 Palestinian prisoners, part of a deal designed to help resume U.S.-brokered peace talks which have met bitter criticism on both sides.
The secretary-general understood that Israel took “a difficult step” in continuing to release Palestinian prisoners despite deep domestic opposition, and appreciated this gesture, Nesirky said.
Ban expects the parties to take every possible step to promote conditions conducive to the success of the negotiating process and to refrain from actions that undermine trust, Nesirky said.
The Israeli settlement construction, which is illegal under the international law, is the major block to the resumption of the direct Palestinian-Israeli talks, which collapsed in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The two sides resumed negotiations this August following efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
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