New York Monitoring Desk
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned Israel’s Higher Planning Committee decision to approve more than 3,400 residential units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank.
According to a statement released by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric via the UAE news agency WAM, the Secretary-General reiterated that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, violate international law and are in clear contradiction with UN resolutions. He described the advancement of this project as an existential threat to the two-state solution.
The statement warned that the plan would sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, severely impacting the territorial integrity of the occupied Palestinian land.
The Secretary-General called on the Israeli government to immediately halt all settlement activities, fully comply with international law, and adhere to relevant UN resolutions, as well as the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024.
