UN Secretary General urges Israel to halt settlement decisions in West Bank

 Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (U.N.), has urged Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, to halt and reverse the decisions on settlement activity in the West Bank, a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean in the Levant region of Western Asia.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the UN, said, “The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to the realization of a viable two-state solution and a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.” He called the settlement activities in the West Bank "illegal settlements.”

Antonio Guterres called Israeli settlements “tensions and violence.” He urged Israel to immediately “cease all settlement activities” in the West Bank, an occupied Palestinian territory.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, recently, Israeli troops murdered at least three Palestinians, including a minor, and injured at least 29 others in the streets of Jenin, an occupied West Bank city, on June 19.

According to reports, Khaled Asasa (21), Qassam Abu Sariya (29) and 15-year-old Ahmed Saqr were among those slain in the gunfire in the West Bank city, and at least six others were critically injured.

Months of violence have gripped Israel and the Palestinians, primarily in the West Bank, where 120 Palestinians are said to have been slain this year.

Reportedly, Israel ordered helicopter gunships to fire rockets at targets in Jenin camp, while Palestinian fighters fought for hours with small arms and explosive devices, causing many Israeli military vehicles to become inoperable and confined troops inside. Eight Israeli soldiers were wounded in the recent fighting. 

Haq said, “The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law.”

As per reports, recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans for setting up new housing units in the occupied West Bank.