RAMALLAH, July 26, 2016 (WAFA) – Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erekat, said on Wednesday that Israel‘s recent decision to advance plans for some 770 housing units in the settlement of Gilo, built on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem, undermines the viability of a two-state solution.
He said the plan “contributes to the establishment of a ring of Israeli settlements around the city, thus further cutting East Jerusalem off from the southern West Bank.”
This announcement comes just weeks after the report of the Middle East Quartet called on Israel to abandon its settlement policy, which is illegal under international law.
“The decision raises legitimate questions about Israel‘s long-term intentions, which are compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state,” Erekat added.
The EU has called on Israel to reverse this decision and to cease its settlement activity.
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