Israel insists on expanding settlements instead of expanding efforts for peace

Palestine’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said on Wednesday that Israel bluntly insists on carrying out its illegal settlement expansion agenda in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem instead of making real efforts to achieve peace, which will end the military occupation of the Palestinian land since June 1967. This came in similar letters he sent to UN general secretary, the president of the Security Council and the president of the general assembly. He said that in the wake of Israeli recent announcements of approving the plan to build at least 2.500 new housing units in two illegal settlements in East Jerusalem, the Israeli government announced on August 15 that it agrees to build 277 new housing units in the illegal settlement of 'Ariel' in the occupied West Bank. With this new announcement the total new housing units that were approved reach up to 2.800 housing units in less than two weeks. He explained that this demonstrates the persistence of the occupation authorities in their attempt to establish illegal settlements in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, to change their status and demographic composition in order to anticipate the results of any peaceful settlement illegally, in Israel's favor. He stressed that the Palestinians and their leadership strongly condemn and reject all Israeli settlement activities in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and in particular the building of settlements, separation wall and the demolition of Palestinian homes and property. He also stressed that there is an international consensus based on international law that these Israeli measures are illegal, and a clear challenge to the repeated calls of the international community, including the Quartet, to stop all settlement activities in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, “ these measures will remain unacceptable and unrecognized by the international community.” he stressed that the failure of the international community, including the Security Council, to take immediate measures regarding the Israeli illegal actions, encourages Israel to continue with impunity and makes it impossible politically and financially to achieve the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, asserting that the responsibilities of the international community, including the Security Council, are clear; taking effective and serious international measures against illegal actions. He also mentioned the continuing Israeli military campaign against the occupied Gaza Strip, causing loss of civilian lives and injuries, referring to the series of airstrikes launched by the Israeli occupation forces on August 16 against civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of Palestinian Moussa Ishtewy, 29, and the injuries of several others, including a six year-old child. He also referred to Amin Taleb, a Jerusalemite resident from Sur Baher, south east of Jerusalem,who was killed on Tuesday, after deliberately being ran over by a military Israeli jeep in an area close to 'Har Homa' settlement on the lands of Abu Ghneim Mountain. He stressed on the need to protect the Palestinian civilian population in the OPT and to hold Israel accountable for all its war crimes, terrorism and violations of human rights committed against the Palestinians and bring the perpetrators to justice.