Xinhua
United Nations, July 25 (Xinhua) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Israel to freeze all settlement activity in West Bank. In a statement issued by his press office Thursday, Ban expressed deep concern on the announcement by the Israeli defense ministry of its approval to build 20 residential units in Maskiyot in the West Bank.

“The secretary-general has stressed many times before, that construction or expansion of settlements is contrary to the international law,” the statement said.

It is also contrary to Israel’s commitments under the Middle East peace process launched by the US in Annapolis last year, it said.

Ban urged Israel to heed the call of the Middle East Quartet, comprising the UN, the European Union, Russia and the US, to “freeze all settlement activity”.
Xinhua