PNA urges Sweden to implement UN resolution on Israeli settlements

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will ask Sweden to follow up and implement the the UN resolution on Israeli settlements, as chair of the upcoming Security Council session this month.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said in a statement to the Voice of Palestine that "a meeting on Jan. 17 at the Security Council will look into situation in the Middle East and Sweden, friendly state, will be chairing this meeting."

He added "we will ask Sweden to follow up on the recent resolution and its details," stressing the necessity of shouldering responsibility by the Security Council members toward the latest Israeli wave of escalation all over the Palestinian territories, which requires more steps to be taken against Israel."

On Dec. 23, the UNSC voted in favor of a resolution that condemns Israeli settlements and calls on Israel to halts its settlement activity in the Palestinian territories.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution with 14 votes in favor and one sustained. The United States, which sustained from voting, didn't veto the resolution, and that helped to pass the resolution.

Malki denounced statements by Israeli right wing Jewish Home Party leader Neftali Bennet regarding unilaterally annexing settlements in the West Bank to Israel, saying that the Palestinian leadership will move promptly to prevent such a move.

Israeli public radio reported Monday that Bennet's bloc in the Knesset would present a bill to take over jurisdiction of the large Maale Adumim settlement bloc in the central West Bank late this month.

Maale Adumim is one the largest settlement blocs built over at least 49,000 sq. km in the West Bank and one of the most controversial, with population of nearly 40,000 Israeli settlers.

source: Xinhua