Foreign Secretary deplores Israeli decisions on settlement expansion
6 Jun 2014 12:56 PM
William Hague deplores Israeli steps on
settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and emphasises
need for lasting peace.
Commenting on steps taken by the Government of Israel on
4 June to issue tenders for over 1500 new settlement units in the West Bank and
East Jerusalem, the Foreign Secretary William Hague said:
I
deplore the decisions taken by the Israeli authorities on 4 June to expand a
number of illegal settlements, many of which are deep within the West Bank, and
in East Jerusalem. Such decisions can only make achieving peace more
difficult.
The
UK’s position on settlements is longstanding: they are illegal under
international law, undermine trust and threaten the viability of the two-state
solution. A negotiated two state solution is the only solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I urge the leaders of both sides to demonstrate
the courage, vision and urgency needed to achieve this.
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