The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolai Miladinov, expressed his concern about the large settlement expansion, stressing the illegality of settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories following Israel´s recent announcement of building 5,200 new settlement units.
“The Israeli authorities have developed nearly 5,000 settlement units, most of them in remote locations deep in the occupied West Bank. We reiterate that the construction of settlements is illegal under international law, and it is one of the main obstacles to peace,” Miladinov said.
He added: This large number of settlement units and their location represent a great source of concern for all those who remain committed to promoting Palestinian-Israeli peace.
Miladinov explained that such tenders undermine the prospects for achieving a two-state solution through the systematic erosion of the possibility of establishing a connected and independent Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, calling on Israel to immediately stop all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
