Illegal Israeli Settlements A Major Obstacle to Peace: UN
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, made the remarks while speaking in a briefing before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“Daily violence has also continued at high levels across the occupied West Bank,” he said, WAFA reported.
Indicating that very little is done regarding the investigation and prosecution of settler-related violence, Wennesland called for holding the perpetrators accountable and bringing them to justice and urged the Israeli forces against the use of “lethal force” against Palestinians.
“Violence has increased across much of the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlement activities continue, along with demolitions and evictions.
Wennesland pointed that the Israeli occupation authorities knocked down or forced owners to demolish 78 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and 18 in East Jerusalem, displacing some 103 Palestinians, including 50 children. They also demolished two homes housing multiple families in Qarawat Bani Hassan village, near Salfit in Area B, resulting in damage to three additional neighboring homes and displacing 18 people, including ten children.
He added that the occupation authorities also demolished two houses in Rummana village, near Jenin in Area B, displacing 13 people, including four children.
He called “on Israeli authorities to end demolitions of Palestinian-owned property and the displacement and eviction of Palestinians, and to approve additional plans that would enable Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs.”
Meanwhile, Wennesland expressed concern over the occupation authorities’ recent announcement halting the granting of permanent licenses to six Palestinian schools in occupied East Jerusalem, due to what it said was incitement against Israel in the school curriculum.
He made reference to the rejection by the occupation authorities of the objections by five Palestinian CSOs against their proscriptions as “unlawful organizations” from November 2021, the permanent designation of three of the CSOs as “terrorist” and the subsequent closure of the CSOs office premises in Ramallah.
“I reiterate the Secretary General’s concern about the shrinking space for civil society in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Stressing the need to bring the occupation to an end, Wennesland stated that “managing the conflict is no substitute for a real political process” while elaborating: “We must turn our attention, once again, to the broader strategy of ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.”
Israeli forces have frequently issued demolition and construction halt notices and flattened Palestinian houses in the area, accusing the owners of lacking building permits. A United Nations study says such permits are “virtually impossible” to obtain.
Critics say the demolitions are political in nature and part of the regime’s policy of dispossession and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Israel occupied the West Bank, including the western part of the holy city of al-Quds, in 1967. It later annexed East al-Quds, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
Between 600,000 and 750,000 Israelis occupy over 250 illegal settlements that have been built across the West Bank since the 1967 occupation.
The UN Security Council has in several resolutions condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s settlement projects in the occupied Palestinian lands.
Source: Agencies
