Arab Ministers Urge International Action to Stop ’Israeli’ Settlement Construction Plans

By Staff, Agencies

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] strongly condemned the Zionist regime's plans to build new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, urging international action to stop such plans.

The foreign ministers voiced the condemnation during the body's 156th ministerial meeting in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh on Sunday.

The ministers rejected the 'Israeli' occupation regime's efforts to annex the settlements or impose its sovereignty over them, saying such efforts are against the resolutions adopted by international organizations, most notably the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.

The resolution, which was adopted in December 2016, describes the 'Israeli' settlements in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds as "a flagrant violation of international law."

The GCC foreign ministers also urged the international community to mount pressure on the occupying regime to reverse its settlement policies.

They reaffirmed their support for the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over the occupied territories.

In late February, the UN Secretary General called for an end to 'Israel's' settlement activities, stressing the illegality of all structures built in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"All settlement activity is illegal under international law. It must stop," Antonio Guterres said while addressing the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

In late May, a European Union representative condemned the 'Israeli' regime’s plans for the construction of nearly 600 new illegal settler units in the occupied West Bank, calling on the Zionist regime to reconsider the decision.

Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU’s ambassador to Palestine, made the remarks during a visit by a delegation of 20 European ambassadors and consuls to the historical town of Sebastia, north of Nablus.

He also denounced the occupying regime’s support for Zionist settlers to return to evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank.

The Zionist regime has built over 230 settlements since its 1967 occupation of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, including East al-Quds. More than 600,000 Zionist settlers occupy those settler units.