UN: Israeli plan to annex W. Bank land 'illegal'
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is "alarmed" by Israeli plans to expropriate 400 hectares of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem area in the south of the occupied West Bank, his spokesman said Monday.
"The Secretary-General is alarmed by yesterday's announcement by Israeli authorities to declare as so-called 'state land' nearly 1,000 acres of land in the Bethlehem area of the West Bank," the spokesman said.
"The seizure of such a large swathe of land risks paving the way for further settlement activity, which - as the United Nations has reiterated on many occasions - is illegal under international law and runs totally counter to the pursuit of a two-state solution.
"The secretary-general calls on Israel to heed the calls of the international community to refrain from settlement activity and abide by its commitments under international law and the Quartet Road Map."
Earlier on Monday, Britain, France and Egypt on Monday joined the United States in denouncing Israeli plans to expropriate West Bank land, saying the move violates international law and is an obstacle to efforts for a lasting Palestinian-Israeli settlement.
Newly installed UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he "deplores Israeli decision to expropriate land near Bethlehem and urges Israel to reverse the decision."
"This is a particularly ill-judged decision that comes at a time when the priority must be to build on the ceasefire in Gaza. It will do serious damage to Israel's standing in the international community," the statement further added.
A statement by the Foreign Ministry in Cairo said "This is not a positive step -- it contradicts international law and will have negative consequences on the peace process."
The French foreign ministry issued a similar statement, saying it condemns the move and urges Israel to reconsider it.
Earlier in the day the US called on Israel to reverse its decision to appropriate 400 hectares of land in the West Bank, calling the move "counterproductive" to peace efforts.
"We have long made clear our opposition to continued settlement activity," a State Department official said. "This announcement, like every other settlement announcement Israel makes, planning step they approve and construction tender they issue is counterproductive to Israel's stated goal of a negotiated two-state solution with the Palestinians."
The Palestinian leadership on Sunday decried Israel's announcement of the land appropriation, intended for the construction of a new town called Gva'ot - an expansion of a small existing settlement in the settlement bloc known as Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem.
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/di ... -bank-land
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