UN warns of dire consequences if Israel expands illegal settlements
The resolution calls on Israel to immediately and completely halt all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – The United Nations has warned that Israel’s accelerating illegal settlement activity and ongoing military operations in Gaza risk triggering dire consequences, fueling displacement and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Presenting Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov told the Security Council that Israel had “accelerated” settlement activity between June 18 and September 19.
The resolution calls on Israel to immediately and completely halt all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Alakbarov said Israeli authorities advanced or approved approximately 20,810 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the period. Demolitions also surged, with 455 structures destroyed or seized, displacing 420 Palestinians, including 175 children and 118 women. At least 30 donor-funded projects were among those demolished.
He singled out the controversial E1 settlement plan, warning it would “sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank” and undermine the viability of an independent Palestinian state. “The advancement of the E1 plan is a calamitous development,” he said.
“Israeli settlements have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions,” Alakbarov stressed. “They are systematically shrinking the territory of the Palestinian state and further entrenching Israel’s unlawful occupation.”
On Gaza, he condemned Israel’s expanding operations, saying they have brought “death at an unprecedented rate and destruction to Palestinians.” He added: “The killing of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, is morally, politically, and legally intolerable.”
Alakbarov warned against forced displacement or “any form of ethnic cleansing,” describing the worsening famine in Gaza as “a man-made disaster.” He urged safe and unimpeded humanitarian access: “We must be allowed to securely distribute assistance to people in need wherever they are.”
He concluded that the “continued devastation and misery on the ground” underscores the urgency of ending Israel’s occupation and relaunching a political process toward a two-state solution in line with international law.
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