United Nations - Sana
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the UN's position on the illegality of Israeli settlements that contravene UN Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016, which called on the Israeli occupation authorities to stop all settlement activities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"The Secretary-General deplores the announcement by the United States and the position of the United Nations has not changed," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference at UN headquarters.
For his part, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Michael Link, condemned in a statement issued by Geneva, the US declaration that "topples international law" and said that this inevitably breaks international consensus and will only contribute to prolonging the Israeli occupation.
"This is not a step toward peace or equity, but the US government's decision to overthrow international law and legitimize illegal Israeli settlements is probably the final nail in the coffin of a two-state solution," Link said in a statement.
Link stressed that the US decision gives permission to the Israeli occupation government "to formally annex large areas of the occupied West Bank as it did in East Jerusalem, which will contribute to the creation of a system of two parts, one legal and the other related to political rights and this system is based on religion and ethnicity, according to the international definition is Apartheid or apartheid. ”
"Israeli settlements on confiscated Palestinian land are a major cause of gross violations of human rights and are the main driver of the Israeli occupation," he said.
Link called on the international community to "reaffirm the illegality of settlements" and asked the international community to "take further steps to give effect to international law by prohibiting the importation of settlement goods and services into international markets."
The Security Council passed Resolution 2334 on December 23, 2016, which was renewed
It affirms the obligation of the Israeli occupying authorities to strictly abide by their legal obligations and responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and condemns all measures aimed at changing the demographic composition
The character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, which includes, among other measures, the construction and expansion of settlements, the transfer of Israeli settlers, the confiscation of land, the demolition of houses and the displacement of Palestinian civilians in violation of international humanitarian law and related resolutions.