The EU and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have condemned the Israeli regime’s plan to push ahead with the construction of hundreds more settler homes in the occupied West Bank.
“We call on Israel to stop these measures and focus on resuming dialogue instead of building illegal settlements,” European Commission foreign and security policy spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement Tuesday.
He said the EU’s certain position on the construction of settlements does not change, as these settlements are illegal under international law. They are obstacles to the peace process and the two-state solution, as well as an obstacle to confidence building between the two sides, Stano added.
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned the Israeli regime’s decision to build 800 new settler housing units in the occupied West Bank.
The OIC said the move is an obvious violation of international regulations and UN resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
“Israel’s illegal settlement construction and expansion policies in the occupied Palestinian territories do not serve the peace process sought internationally or the Arab Peace Initiative,” the OIC stressed.
The so-called Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, calls on the Israeli regime to agree to a “two-state solution” within the 1967 borders and a “just” solution to the problems of Palestinian refugees.
by Xavier Cuesta – European Correspondent – VN