Ramallah: Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have been condemned by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which sees them as a significant obstacle to regional peace.
According to several outlets, a separate proposal demanding an immediate end to all settlement activities was successfully resisted by US negotiators.
On Monday, the Security Council expressed "deep concern and dismay" at the continued growth of settlement outposts, citing recently revealed plans by the Israeli government to formally recognize the nine settlements that already exist in the West Bank .
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It added that ongoing settlement activity is "dangerously jeopardizing the viability of the two-state solution" and that the UNSC "strongly opposes all unilateral measures likely to disrupt peace," including "the construction of settlements and expansion, the confiscation of Palestinian lands, the 'legalization' of settlement outposts, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the displacement of Palestinian citizens."
The "two-state solution" is one of several plans floated over the years to end the Israel–Palestine conflict. It calls for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine within the territory's borders as they were before the 1967 Six-Day War, which resulted in Israeli forces occupying both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Despite the withdrawal of its troops from Gaza in 2005, Israeli forces continued to occupy the West Bank. During this time, it often provided security for Israeli settlers who were building communities and homes on Palestinian land.
Article 49 of the Geneva Conventions, which states that "occupying powers" must not "relocate or move parts of their own civilian populations into their occupied territory," along with a long list of humanitarian organizations It has been repeatedly criticized by the United Nations itself.
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As a result of the government's insistence on the right of Israelis to live there, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of them now live there, a future two-state solution is severely hindered.
Despite criticism of the settlements and other policies towards the Palestinians, the United States has consistently supported Israel, often using its veto power at the United Nations to block resolutions that would condemn or ban Israel's actions. Let's demand
Washington has similarly fought against efforts to seek accountability from other international organizations such as the International Criminal Court.
The Associated Press reports that US diplomats led "high-stakes talks" to scrap a legally binding Security Council resolution that would have required immediate action on settlements.
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As a result of their pressure campaign, the UN statement from Monday was allegedly purposefully "downplayed". The Palestinian Authority actively supported the resolution, but eventually "agreed to suspend its efforts" as a result of "US pressure and mediation", according to Axios.
