RAMALLAH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Wednesday condemned the Israeli decision to build 540 new housing units in the Jewish settlement of Har Homa, south of East Jerusalem.

Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that this decision is "condemned and rejected."

"It violates all United Nations resolutions that condemn settlements, especially Resolution 2334 which affirmed that all forms of settlements on Palestinian lands are illegal," Abu Rudeineh said.

He accused Israel of working to "impose facts on the ground and prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Israeli media Wednesday reported that Israel has approved the construction of 540 housing units in the Jewish settlement of Har Homa (known to Palestinians as Jabal Abu Ghneim).

The report said it is the first time that a settlement plan is being approved since the start of the tenure of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Har Homa is located in some of the last lands connecting the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and East Jerusalem which the Palestinians regard as the capital of their future state.

Peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians remained stalled since it stopped in the spring of 2014 when the U.S. sponsored it for nine months and ended without any breakthrough due to deep differences on the settlements, East Jerusalem, and the borders of a future Palestinian state. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)