The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov has warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the inaction in moving forwards the Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts has a cost, measured in human lives and suffering.

    In his remarks, Mladenov said "The situation on the ground is changing steadily, dangerously, as proponents of Israeli settlement expansion feel emboldened, internal divisions among Palestinians flare up, and the prospect of a future Palestinian state comes under threat like never before." He added that the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories reduces the possibility of achieving a lasting and just peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

    Mladenov said that Israel's planned new construction in eastern Jerusalem was part of "increasingly worrying" developments.

    Bill to retroactively legalize settlement outposts passes first Knesset reading. The bill has garnered large amounts of criticism, as Israel's attorney general said that the bill contravened international law.

Source: QNA