UN Special Coordinator for ME: all settlements are illegal under international law, must stop immediately

Occupied Jerusalem, SANA- United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East (ME), Tor Wennesland warned against Israeli occupation’s schemes, and continued expansion of settlement, demolishing of the Palestinians’ homes and facilities, and allowing the settlers to be returned to settlements that were evacuated in 2005, asserting that “all settlements are illegal under international law, and must stop immediately.”

Wennesland pointed out in a briefing to the UN Security Council that the occupation authorities instructed to the establishment of about 310 settlement units on the Palestinian lands, while they demolished last month 33 Palestinian buildings, which caused the displacement of 89 persons and 45 children.

The UN official indicated to the increasing of the settlers’ crimes against the Palestinians and their repeated provocative storming of al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City in occupied Jerusalem.

He referred to that the Israeli recent aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip resulted in the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of Palestinians, among them women and children, in addition to the martyrdom and injury of a number of Palestinians in the west Bank.

He called upon the member-states to increase their support to the Palestinians, including funding of UNRWA and the World Food Program.

“We should adopt measures not only to ensure the Palestinians’ welfare, but also as an integral part of ending the occupation based on the international law,” the UN official said.
Hala Zain