ANKARA, Thursday, May 7, 2020 (WAFA) – The Republic of Turkey has condemned Israel’s recent plan to build thousands of new settlement housing units in the occupied West Bank.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said today that the move was a "continuation of Israel’s policy of occupation and oppression," as quoted by official Anadolu News Agency.

It said the plan is evidence of "Israel’s drive to continue usurping the rights of Palestinians through blatant illegal settlement activity."

Turkey’s criticism came a day after Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennet approved the construction of 7,000 illegal settlement units in Efrat in the occupied West Bank.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry added that Israel was eliminating any possibility of a two-state solution through the persistent expansion of its illegal settlements in Palestinian territories.

It stressed that peace and stability were needed more than ever at a time when the entire global community was battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry said Turkey rejects all Israeli settlement activity, which violates UN resolutions, and will always stand by its Palestinian brothers and their cause.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as an “occupied territory” under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there illegal.

M.N