Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The UN Security Council expressed its “dismay” at the agenda of Israel’s ultra-right government to legalize settlements retroactively in occupied Palestinian lands, and warned in a statement Monday that these types of measures “impede peace.”
The Council in a non-binding statement, that was supported by all 15 members, said, “the UNSC reiterates that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperiling the viability of the two-State solution”.
The statement pertained to last week’s draft resolution that had been proposed by the United Arab Emirates, and had urged Israel to completely and immediately end settlement activities in occupied Palestinian areas.
Israeli measures impede peace
Diplomatic sources informed AFP Monday that the draft, condemning “all attempts at annexation, including decisions and measures by Israel regarding settlements, including settlement outposts” had been dropped and would be replaced by the new statement issued by the president of the Security Council.
The draft resolution had also reiterated the demand “that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.”
The initiative provoked opposition from the United States, which has the right of veto in the Council.
The White House in a statement stated that it was “deeply dismayed” by the plans.
Washington had at the same time denounced the announcement a few days earlier by the Israeli security cabinet of the legalization of nine settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The new statement on Monday said the Council “strongly opposes all unilateral measures that impede peace, including, inter alia, Israeli construction and expansion of settlements, confiscation of Palestinians’ land, and the ‘legalization’ of settlement outposts, demolition of Palestinians’ homes and displacement of Palestinian civilians.”
