Today, Tuesday, Italy expressed "deep concern" about the Israeli occupation authorities ’decision to build 800 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, noting that it is a violation of international legitimacy and undermines the chances of a two-state solution.
In a statement on its website, the Foreign Ministry said that Italy reiterates its "deep concern over the Israeli decision to build 800 settlement units in the West Bank." She added, "As it did on November 17, it renewed its call for the Israeli authorities to reconsider this decision." The statement stressed that the expansion of settlements in the West Bank "violates international law and threatens irreparably to undermine the path of a just and sustainable two-state solution in line with internationally recognized standards and relevant United Nations resolutions." He added, "Italy therefore urges to refrain from any unilateral action that has no effect other than to dispel the ongoing efforts to restore the climate of confidence between the two parties and to endanger the resumption of direct negotiations." And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced his approval to build 800 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank. The occupation government insists on exploiting all possible opportunities available from the remaining time for the Trump administration to move forward with its settlement plans, and to establish facts on the ground until the inauguration day, which is scheduled for Wednesday. The Israeli settlements in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank are illegal, under international law, and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land that the Palestinians see as part of their future state.
