Palestine mulling over UN Security Council action against Israeli settlement activities

Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki says the Palestinian leadership is the considering the United Nations Security Council’s action against Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories, especially after the Tel Aviv regime announced it is set to build 730 new settler units in East al-Quds.

Maliki told the Arabic-language Voice of Palestine radio station that Palestine is going to urge the world body to assume its responsibilities concerning Israeli policies of land expropriation and settlements expansions, particularly the UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which was adopted on December 23, 2016, and calls on world states to distinguish in their dealings between Israeli communities and Palestinian lands occupied by Israel.

He added that Palestinian diplomats continue to draw the international community’s attention to the Israeli regime’s occupation and violation of Palestinian rights at the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council and all relevant institutions.

“The rise in settlement construction activities by the Israeli regime is a very dangerous sign. We have discussed the matter with the US administration as well as authorities from various countries,” the Palestinian foreign minister pointed out.

Israel okays construction of 730 settler units in occupied al-Quds

The Israeli regime is set to build 730 new settler units in the occupied al-Quds, as part of its illegal settlement expansion activities across the Palestinian territories.

He went on to say that the Palestinian initiatives at the third meeting of the Arab ministerial committee in Jordan regarding the development of an Arab plan to save al-Quds were approved.

Maliki expressed hope that the plan will also be approved at the forthcoming foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Pakistan to confront Israel’s attempts to Judaize al-Quds.

Abbas condemns Israel’s decision to build 730 new settler units

Moreover, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the decision of Israeli authorities to build 730 new units in the illegal settlement of Pesgat Ze’ev in the occupied East al-Quds.

“The measure is a proof that the Israeli regime insists on ignoring international resolutions on the illegality of settlements. Israeli officials are seeking to sabotage all efforts aimed at the establishment of regional and global peace and stability,” Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.

He urged “the international community to pressure Israel to stop its unilateral measures that will drag the region into more tensions,” stressing that “Al-Quds, with its Islamic and Christian holy sites and neighborhoods, is an untouchable red line.”

Abu Rudeineh warned that Israel is “exploiting the international community's preoccupation with the Russo-Ukrainian crisis to advance its settlement projects and steal more Palestinian land.”

Israeli committee approves plan for 1,500 new settlement units in occupied East al-Quds

An Israeli committee has approved a plan for the construction of 1,500 new settler units in the occupied East al-Quds.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East al-Quds as its capital. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued settlement expansion.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under the international law as they are built on occupied land. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in several resolutions.

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