RAMALLAH, September 1, 2016 (WAFA) – New settlement tenders approved by the Israeli government demands that the Palestinians seek a United Nations Security Council resolution that would force Israel to halt its internationally condemned settlement construction, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Thursday.
His statement came in response to Israeli government consent to the construction of over 500 new housing units in West Bank settlements.
“Settlements are illegal and a violation of international laws and conventions, which demand international intervention to bring them to a halt,” said Abu Rudeineh.
“The Palestinian leadership and in cooperation with the Arab League and the Arab ministerial group will hold contacts at the international level to speed up convening a Security Council session that should pass a resolution to stop settlements, which pose unprecedented and serious threat and creates a situation that would result in grave consequences,” he said.
Israeli media reported that Israel had approved the construction of hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements and retroactively legalized dozens more.
The Civil Administration‘s High Planning Committee approved the building of 234 units in Elkana, 31 units in Beit Arye, and 20 units in Givat Ze‘ev. The committee has also legalized 178 units, which were built in Beit Arye the 1980s.
Another plan to build 30 housing units in the Efrat settlement was expected to be approved during the meeting but was ultimately not discussed.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest slammed the approvals as a development that "poses a serious and growing threat to the viability of a two-state solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“We are particularly troubled by a policy of retroactively approving illegal outposts and unauthorized settlements,” Earnest said. “I think we have been quite unambiguous about the concerns we have on this issue.”
Responding to Earnest’s remarks, Abu Rudeineh stated that “the US warning against settlement expansion across the Palestinian territories is not sufficient. What is required is real action that would force the Israeli government to halt settlement activities because they undermine regional and international efforts to revive the peace process.”
K.F./M.A.
