BRUSSELS, September 3, 2016 (WAFA) – The European Union (EU) Friday expressed strong opposition to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories demanding a freeze on settlement activities, an EU spokesperson said in statement.
It described the Israeli government approval of the construction of an additional 463 housing units in West Bank settlements and to retroactively approve 179 existing units as “a serious concern.”
It said that since January 2016, Israeli authorities have promoted or retroactively legalized 2,706 units in West Bank settlements.
“The Quartet report published last July identified such action as undermining the prospects for peace and steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution and recommended that any expansion of settlements be frozen,” said the statement. “The EU reiterates its strong opposition to Israel‘s settlement policy and all actions taken in this context.”
M.A.
