New York [US], July 19: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed disappointed by the decision of the Israeli Knesset to pass a motion opposing the establishment of a Palestinian State west of the Jordan River.
In a statement today, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said:''As he (Guterres) has said many times, he believes that ending the occupation and negotiating a two-State solution where Israel and an independent democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders based on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, is the only viable path to a sustainable peace for the people of Israel and for the people of Palestine.''
''So, the motion passed is for us clearly inconsistent with the UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements. And he once again calls on the Israelis and all sides, frankly, [not] to do anything that takes us further away from the two-State solution,'' he added.
Israeli administrative and legal steps are also "steadily altering" the geography of the occupied West Bank, said Antonio Guterres in a statement before the UN Security Council's open debate on the ongoing crisis in Gaza yesterday.
He briefed the council on two military orders issued at the end of May, which transferred powers to a civilian deputy in Israel's Civil Administration.
"This move is another significant advance in the ongoing transfer of authority over many aspects of daily life in the occupied West Bank", he said.
"If left unaddressed, these measures risk causing irreparable damage...we must change course. All settlement activity must cease immediately. Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and a key obstacle to peace."
"The seizure of large land parcels in strategic areas and changes to planning, land management and governance are expected to significantly accelerate settlement expansion," he added.
Source: Emirates News Agency
