The United Nations called on the Israeli authorities to halt its illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, while prospects for a two-state solution is eroded.

This came in a briefing on Monday by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov to the Security Council during a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian cause.

Although the past month had been relatively calm in terms of the frequency and intensity of violence, Mladenov said that since July 1, Israel has made plans to build more than 1,700 new housing units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, adding that the continuation of settlements' construction in violation of the international law will not give hope to Palestinians or bring security to the Israelis. "All of these plans would essentially create new illegal settlements and I call on Israel to cease and reverse these decisions," Mladenov stressed. 

No "legal acrobats", he said, could change the fact that all outposts remained illegal under international law and it was difficult to view such actions as a genuine intention to work towards a viable two-State solution.

Source : XINHUA